Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalst and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Aalst and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,172 in Aalst versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,194 in Aalst versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,217 in Aalst versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Aalst is roughly 72% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aalst is 63% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.81 €19.75

$4.48 ฿150

409.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 €90.9

$45.59 ฿1,521

130.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.68 €10.98

$8.76 ฿292

44.75%

Cappuccino

$4.03 €3.49

$2.97 ฿99.0

35.69%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 €2.96

$0.69 ฿22.90

395.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.50

$0.39 ฿13.04

641.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 €4.89

$2.53 ฿84.4

123.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 €3.90

$3.75 ฿125

20.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.15

$2.15 ฿71.6

-38.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.46

$1.82 ฿60.6

56.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 €2.36

$2.18 ฿72.9

24.77%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.55

$2.25 ฿75.0

82.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.64 €14.41

$20.00 ฿667

-16.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.94 €10.34

$3.63 ฿121

228.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.69 €16.18

$13.56 ฿452

37.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 €2.61

$3.24 ฿108

-7.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.05

$1.64 ฿54.6

44.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 €1.94

$2.33 ฿77.8

-3.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.85

$2.07 ฿69.1

58.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.31

$1.55 ฿51.6

72.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 €2.02

$1.46 ฿48.54

59.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.24

$0.98 ฿32.86

45.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.71

$0.48 ฿16.09

72.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.25 €10.61

$4.35 ฿145

181.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.87 €7.68

$18.57 ฿620

-52.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.86 ฿61.9

-8.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$2.65 ฿88.6

-24.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.83 €2.45

$1.42 ฿47.28

99.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.2 €49.56

$11.57 ฿386

394.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.63 €4.88

$3.17 ฿106

77.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 €2.09

$1.03 ฿34.41

133.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.66 €30.02

$13.89 ฿463

149.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.34 ฿44.84

43.28%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K €29.9K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

24.20%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.4K €29.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

0.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$202 €175

$123 ฿4,105

63.80%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.13 €18.30

$13.77 ฿459

53.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 €49.80

$18.33 ฿611

213.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.55 €33.38

$60.7 ฿2,025

-36.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.11 €14.82

$17.16 ฿573

-0.29%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 €13.06

$8.87 ฿296

70.12%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$615 €533

$688 ฿22.9K

-10.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.5K

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-15.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.1

$59.3 ฿1,978

77.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.42 €41.93

$34.69 ฿1,157

39.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €99.7

$115 ฿3,843

-0.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 €136

$83.8 ฿2,794

88.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 €840

$621 ฿20.7K

56.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 €766

$446 ฿14.9K

98.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,356 €1,174

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-33.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €951

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-26.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,137 €2,717

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-9.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,912 €2,522

$2,531 ฿84.4K

15.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,650 €2,295

$494 ฿16.5K

436.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

5.33

-38.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Aalst: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Aalst and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aalst pays 437% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $105 in Aalst vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $291 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Aalst vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aalst and Phuket differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($2,172 vs $1,264 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 437% higher in Aalst, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $970 in Aalst versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $105 in Aalst. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,172 per month in Aalst versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $2,172 in Aalst, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Aalst. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aalst and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Aalst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.