Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Budva and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,664 per month in Budva vs $1,253 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,659 per month in Budva vs $2,043 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,654 per month in Budva vs $2,833 in Phuket, rent included.

Budva costs about 33% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Budva sits 21% above the global median, while Phuket is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 €12.95

$4.56 ฿152

229.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 €60.3

$32.62 ฿1,086

114.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.11 €12.17

$8.90 ฿296

58.54%

Cappuccino

$3.62 €3.12

$2.80 ฿93.4

29.29%

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

$2.30 €1.99

$0.88 ฿29.31

161.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.38

$0.49 ฿16.29

226.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 €4.18

$2.39 ฿79.5

102.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 €3.82

$3.71 ฿124

19.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.79 ฿59.5

-29.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.44 ฿48.00

-20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.58 ฿52.8

43.04%

Eggs

$3.21 €2.77

$2.13 ฿70.8

50.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 €7.93

$19.92 ฿663

-53.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.25

$3.43 ฿114

178.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 €11.09

$11.33 ฿377

13.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 €1.19

$2.95 ฿98.2

-53.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.72 ฿57.3

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 €1.32

$2.32 ฿77.4

-34.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 €2.50

$2.08 ฿69.3

39.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 €0.82

$1.47 ฿48.96

-35.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.36 ฿45.22

-15.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.10 ฿36.59

62.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.80

$0.57 ฿19.13

63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 €3.97

$4.27 ฿142

7.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 €6.89

$18.42 ฿613

-56.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.87 ฿62.3

-39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.57

$2.92 ฿97.3

-37.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$2.22 ฿73.9

29.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.02 €35.38

$22.90 ฿762

79.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.03 ฿101

-62.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 €1.03

$1.07 ฿35.77

11.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.54 €15.13

$3.93 ฿131

346.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.49 ฿49.68

18.12%

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

$29.8K €25.7K

$27.1K ฿903.4K

9.68%

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

$26.3K €22.7K

$27.5K ฿914.1K

-4.05%

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

$169 €146

$103 ฿3,423

64.71%

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

$15.41 €13.29

$10.99 ฿366

40.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.50 €29.76

$17.51 ฿583

97.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.9 €51.7

$53.5 ฿1,783

11.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.34 €19.27

$11.20 ฿373

99.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 €5.57

$7.48 ฿249

-13.64%

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

$413 €356

$557 ฿18.5K

-25.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €8,829

$11.9K ฿394.7K

-13.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €95.8

$64.1 ฿2,134

73.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.10 €39.76

$29.07 ฿968

58.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$96.0 ฿3,195

6.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$189 €163

$90.3 ฿3,008

109.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 €700

$730 ฿24.3K

11.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 €511

$500 ฿16.6K

18.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 €1,331

$2,090 ฿69.6K

-26.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 €1,014

$1,209 ฿40.3K

-2.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,272 €3,684

$3,596 ฿119.7K

18.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,029 €2,613

$2,512 ฿83.7K

20.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,056 €911

$503 ฿16.8K

109.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.57

6.82%

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

Last update for Budva: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $812 in Budva versus $730 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 110% higher in Budva, 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 $70.0 in Budva versus $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $246 in Budva vs $273 in Phuket – so Budva 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

Budva vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,664 in Budva, $1,253 in Phuket – roughly 33% apart. Budva costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,497 per month in Budva and $1,880 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 $1,664 in Budva and $1,253 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 79% 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 $1,253, than in Budva at $1,664. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,253 in Phuket to $1,664 in Budva. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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