Cost of Living Comparison Between Argostoli and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Argostoli and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,410 per month in Argostoli vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,106 per month in Argostoli vs $2,297 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,803 per month in Argostoli vs $3,329 in Phuket, rent included.

Argostoli costs about 11% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Argostoli sits 5% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.66 €10.03

$4.70 ฿153

148.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.1 €48.22

$45.37 ฿1,482

23.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 €7.67

$8.43 ฿275

5.69%

Cappuccino

$3.78 €3.25

$2.93 ฿95.6

29.01%

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

$1.66 €1.43

$0.69 ฿22.40

140.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.48

$0.37 ฿11.99

48.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.75 €4.08

$2.41 ฿78.6

97.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.97

$3.72 ฿122

24.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.23 ฿72.9

-24.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.83 ฿59.8

-27.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.17 ฿70.8

4.15%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.48

$2.21 ฿72.3

83.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.24 €9.67

$19.74 ฿645

-43.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 €7.57

$3.63 ฿119

142.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.82 €11.89

$13.53 ฿442

2.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$3.28 ฿107

-31.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.61 ฿52.6

56.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.41 ฿78.6

-29.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.21

$2.08 ฿68.1

23.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.53 ฿49.93

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.48 ฿48.36

-13.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 €0.82

$0.99 ฿32.29

-4.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$0.51 ฿16.67

137.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 €5.36

$4.41 ฿144

41.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 €5.59

$19.38 ฿633

-66.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.04

$1.78 ฿58.1

33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 €3.26

$2.71 ฿88.6

39.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.37 ฿44.79

15.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.87 €39.46

$11.39 ฿372

302.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 €3.45

$3.02 ฿98.6

33.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.91

$0.99 ฿32.48

7.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.42 €9.82

$14.10 ฿461

-19.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.36 ฿44.51

52.21%

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

$31.6K €27.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

12.07%

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

$25.5K €21.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-22.48%

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

$220 €189

$122 ฿3,975

80.81%

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

$22.32 €19.20

$13.57 ฿443

64.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.44 €27.91

$18.31 ฿598

77.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.54 €40.90

$60.2 ฿1,967

-21.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.72 €22.12

$17.14 ฿560

50.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.03 €7.77

$8.69 ฿284

3.91%

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

$524 €451

$693 ฿22.6K

-24.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 €5,611

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-58.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 €56.8

$59.5 ฿1,944

10.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.76 €28.18

$34.77 ฿1,136

-5.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 €59.3

$115 ฿3,743

-39.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €90.8

$83.3 ฿2,720

26.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 €436

$613 ฿20.0K

-17.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 €340

$437 ฿14.3K

-9.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 €665

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-63.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 €529

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-59.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,088 €2,656

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-17.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,543 €2,187

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-2.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

5.33

-17.07%

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

Last update for Argostoli: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $506 in Argostoli versus $613 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Argostoli versus $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $278 in Argostoli vs $293 in Phuket – so Argostoli wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Argostoli vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Argostoli is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,115 per month in Argostoli and $1,898 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Argostoli – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Argostoli and $45.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Argostoli at $1,410. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Argostoli it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Argostoli makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.