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: $2,209 in Arnhem versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,392 in Arnhem versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,574 in Arnhem versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Arnhem is roughly 75% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arnhem is 65% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 €16.19

$4.70 ฿153

300.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 €61.1

$45.37 ฿1,482

56.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 €11.29

$8.43 ฿275

55.63%

Cappuccino

$4.23 €3.64

$2.93 ฿95.6

44.37%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$0.69 ฿22.40

365.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.13

$0.37 ฿11.99

570.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 €5.46

$2.41 ฿78.6

163.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.49

$3.72 ฿122

40.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$2.23 ฿72.9

-44.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.83 ฿59.8

32.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

$2.17 ฿70.8

48.85%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.11

$2.21 ฿72.3

115.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 €11.99

$19.74 ฿645

-29.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.09 €14.70

$3.63 ฿119

370.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.13 €14.74

$13.53 ฿442

26.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.05

$3.28 ฿107

-27.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.61 ฿52.6

54.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.41 ฿78.6

-19.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.56

$2.08 ฿68.1

99.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.53 ฿49.93

42.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.48 ฿48.36

45.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.99 ฿32.29

25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$0.51 ฿16.67

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €12.49

$4.41 ฿144

229.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.17

$19.38 ฿633

-62.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.78 ฿58.1

-23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.36

$2.71 ฿88.6

1.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.23 €3.63

$1.37 ฿44.79

208.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €101

$11.39 ฿372

926.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 €3.32

$3.02 ฿98.6

27.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.26

$0.99 ฿32.48

164.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.68 €23.81

$14.10 ฿461

96.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.89

$1.36 ฿44.51

61.76%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

33.06%

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

$39.2K €33.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

19.17%

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

$265 €228

$122 ฿3,975

117.82%

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

$29.80 €25.63

$13.57 ฿443

119.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 €45.24

$18.31 ฿598

187.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.61 €36.66

$60.2 ฿1,967

-29.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.59 €6.53

$17.14 ฿560

-55.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 €12.90

$8.69 ฿284

72.50%

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

$1,866 €1,605

$693 ฿22.6K

169.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,166 €5,304

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-60.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.3 €81.2

$59.5 ฿1,944

58.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.69 €15.22

$34.77 ฿1,136

-49.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 €73.6

$115 ฿3,743

-25.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 €76.3

$83.3 ฿2,720

6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,001

$613 ฿20.0K

89.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 €751

$437 ฿14.3K

99.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 €1,780

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-1.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 €1,425

$1,509 ฿49.3K

9.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,398 €4,643

$3,749 ฿122.5K

43.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,238 €3,645

$2,616 ฿85.4K

62.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,834 €3,298

$508 ฿16.6K

654.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

5.33

-39.02%

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

Last update for Arnhem: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,163 in Arnhem and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 655% 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: $71.0 in Arnhem vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $293 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 75% in total monthly costs ($2,209 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Arnhem pays 655% more on average, 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: $1,163 in Arnhem versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% 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 $45.00 versus $71.0 in Arnhem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,209 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 75% less than in Arnhem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.