Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,976 in Arad, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Arad
Learn more

Arad Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Arad

🇮🇱 Israel

$2,976

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arad and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Arad and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,976 per month in Arad vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Arad $2,976
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $4,235 per month in Arad vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Arad $4,235
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $5,493 per month in Arad vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Arad $5,493
Phuket $2,867

Arad costs about 147% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Arad sits 120% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.95 ₪80.7

$4.58 ฿153

466.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 ₪286

$32.48 ฿1,086

183.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.04 ₪62.4

$8.55 ฿286

134.39%

Cappuccino

$4.81 ₪14.97

$2.72 ฿91.0

76.84%

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

$3.98 ₪12.40

$0.94 ฿31.25

323.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₪8.31

$0.49 ฿16.39

444.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.92 ₪30.86

$2.59 ฿86.6

283.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.27 ₪31.97

$3.83 ฿128

168.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 ₪7.99

$1.74 ฿58.1

47.70%

White Bread (500g)

$5.61 ₪17.46

$1.43 ฿47.82

292.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 ₪10.51

$1.53 ฿51.0

120.92%

Eggs

$4.48 ₪13.95

$2.17 ฿72.7

106.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 ₪40.82

$19.15 ฿640

-31.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.23 ₪59.8

$3.30 ฿110

482.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.55 ₪82.6

$11.14 ฿372

138.33%

Apples (1kg)

$6.38 ₪19.84

$2.95 ฿98.5

116.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.20 ₪9.95

$1.68 ฿56.1

90.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 ₪9.50

$2.30 ฿76.8

32.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 ₪9.87

$2.13 ฿71.3

48.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 ₪6.54

$1.53 ฿51.1

37.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ₪5.28

$1.36 ฿45.55

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 ₪7.51

$1.12 ฿37.44

116.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₪7.95

$0.55 ฿18.24

365.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 ₪31.00

$4.26 ฿142

133.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.22 ₪41.12

$18.19 ฿608

-27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 ₪14.58

$1.74 ฿58.2

169.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 ₪13.14

$2.79 ฿93.3

51.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 ₪9.29

$2.22 ฿74.1

34.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 ₪272

$22.06 ฿737

296.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 ₪25.65

$2.91 ฿97.3

183.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ₪3.59

$1.01 ฿33.79

13.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.86 ₪89.8

$3.83 ฿128

653.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.63 ₪8.17

$1.49 ฿49.85

76.51%

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

$58.2K ₪181.2K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

118.24%

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

$58.7K ₪182.8K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

119.91%

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

$336 ₪1,046

$99.4 ฿3,321

238.44%

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

$12.37 ₪38.47

$11.28 ฿377

9.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.51 ₪154

$17.36 ฿580

185.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.7 ₪264

$52.3 ฿1,747

61.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$16.53 ₪51.4

$7.57 ฿253

118.36%

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

$1,643 ₪5,112

$558 ฿18.7K

194.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K ₪93.5K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

161.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 ₪319

$62.9 ฿2,102

63.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.3 ₪200

$28.58 ฿955

124.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$176 ₪548

$96.1 ฿3,213

83.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 ₪487

$88.1 ฿2,943

77.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 ₪5,222

$729 ฿24.4K

130.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 ₪3,683

$460 ฿15.4K

157.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 ₪7,846

$2,096 ฿70.0K

20.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 ₪5,053

$1,222 ฿40.8K

32.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.8K ₪33.6K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

211.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,515 ₪26.5K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

242.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,569 ₪7,992

$493 ฿16.5K

421.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.2

5.57

-6.64%

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

Last update for Arad: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arad

$1.2K 39.8%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 61.1% $724

Groceries & Markets

Arad

$516 17.3%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 48.1% $248

Eating Out

Arad

$422 14.2%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 71.3% $301

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arad

$398 13.4%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 67.9% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Arad

$225 7.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 44.8% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Arad

$118 4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 42.7% $50

Getting Around

Arad

$113 3.8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 65.7% $74

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,678 in Arad versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 421% higher in Arad, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Arad versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $516 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇱 Arad

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:47 1:47 PM

17:47 5:47 PM

4 h ahead of Arad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,530

79,308

💱 Currency

Israeli New Shekel ILS ₪

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 ILS = 0.321 USD

1 ILS = 0.286 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to ILS – Israeli New Shekel Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇱 Israeli New Shekel (₪)

Israeli New Shekel exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3.11 ILS (1 ILS = 0.321 USD). 1 EUR = 3.5 ILS (1 ILS = 0.286 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to ILS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arad Phuket 7,010 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Arad
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Arad vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arad costs about 147% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,464 per month in Arad and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,976 in Arad and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 147%.

Public transport costs about 296% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Arad at $2,976. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arad it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $2,976 in Arad. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.