Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,713 in Arnhem versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,945 in Arnhem versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,177 in Arnhem versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Arnhem is roughly 116% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arnhem is 97% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.54 €20.23

$4.56 ฿150

416.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 €78.2

$32.62 ฿1,073

178.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.81 €11.87

$8.90 ฿293

55.17%

Cappuccino

$4.48 €3.85

$2.80 ฿92.2

60.00%

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

$3.42 €2.94

$0.88 ฿28.94

288.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.32

$0.49 ฿16.08

451.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 €4.92

$2.39 ฿78.5

139.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 €5.14

$3.71 ฿122

61.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.79 ฿58.8

-30.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.44 ฿47.40

42.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.45 €2.97

$1.58 ฿52.1

118.35%

Eggs

$5.36 €4.61

$2.13 ฿69.9

151.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.37 €11.49

$19.92 ฿655

-32.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.85 €12.76

$3.43 ฿113

332.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.54 €14.22

$11.33 ฿372

45.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$2.95 ฿97.0

-4.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$1.72 ฿56.6

45.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.32 ฿76.5

-19.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 €4.74

$2.08 ฿68.4

164.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.47 ฿48.34

36.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 €2.20

$1.36 ฿44.65

88.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.10 ฿36.13

16.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$0.57 ฿18.89

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.73 €12.66

$4.27 ฿140

244.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.52 €6.46

$18.42 ฿606

-59.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.87 ฿61.5

-19.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.40

$2.92 ฿96.1

-4.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 €3.97

$2.22 ฿73.0

108.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 €99.3

$22.90 ฿753

404.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.16 €3.58

$3.03 ฿99.6

37.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.07 ฿35.32

121.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.82 €29.07

$3.93 ฿129

760.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.49 ฿49.06

57.72%

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

$43.3K €37.2K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

59.61%

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

$40.8K €35.1K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

48.76%

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

$289 €248

$103 ฿3,380

181.13%

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

$23.38 €20.10

$10.99 ฿361

112.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.35 €38.99

$17.51 ฿576

158.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.15 €37.09

$53.5 ฿1,760

-19.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 €10.08

$11.20 ฿368

4.64%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 €12.92

$7.48 ฿246

100.94%

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

$1,288 €1,108

$557 ฿18.3K

131.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,275 €5,395

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-47.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.2 €85.3

$64.1 ฿2,107

54.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.25 €26.01

$29.07 ฿956

4.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €95.9

$96.0 ฿3,155

16.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 €139

$90.3 ฿2,970

79.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 €1,297

$730 ฿24.0K

106.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,036

$500 ฿16.4K

141.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 €1,964

$2,090 ฿68.7K

9.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 €1,614

$1,209 ฿39.8K

55.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,379 €4,624

$3,596 ฿118.2K

49.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,357 €3,745

$2,512 ฿82.6K

73.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,764 €3,236

$503 ฿16.6K

647.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

5.57

-29.08%

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

Last update for Arnhem: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,509 in Arnhem and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 648% 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: $91.0 in Arnhem vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $273 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

Arnhem vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arnhem and Phuket differ by about 116% in total monthly costs ($2,713 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 648% higher in Arnhem, 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: $1,509 in Arnhem versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Arnhem. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $91.0 in Arnhem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,713 in Arnhem, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Arnhem. 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, Arnhem 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 116% less than in Arnhem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.