Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlow and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlow and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,566 per month in Carlow vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,786 per month in Carlow vs $2,297 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,005 per month in Carlow vs $3,329 in Phuket, rent included.

Carlow costs about 103% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Carlow sits 92% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.81 €18.06

$4.70 ฿154

342.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.4 €84.5

$45.37 ฿1,489

114.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €9.00

$8.43 ฿277

23.01%

Cappuccino

$4.22 €3.66

$2.93 ฿96.1

44.03%

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

$2.56 €2.22

$0.69 ฿22.50

271.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.90

$0.37 ฿12.04

494.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 €6.17

$2.41 ฿79.0

195.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 €5.74

$3.72 ฿122

77.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.38

$2.23 ฿73.3

-28.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.83 ฿60.1

12.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 €1.97

$2.17 ฿71.1

4.61%

Eggs

$4.38 €3.80

$2.21 ฿72.6

98.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 €10.16

$19.74 ฿648

-40.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.95 €11.23

$3.63 ฿119

256.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.12 €13.12

$13.53 ฿444

11.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.44

$3.28 ฿108

-14.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.61 ฿52.9

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.04

$2.41 ฿79.0

45.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.12

$2.08 ฿68.4

73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.53 ฿50.2

-3.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 €0.89

$1.48 ฿48.58

-30.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.11

$0.99 ฿32.44

29.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$0.51 ฿16.74

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.29 €16.74

$4.41 ฿145

337.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 €12.69

$19.38 ฿636

-24.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.78 ฿58.4

32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.32

$2.71 ฿89.0

40.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.37 ฿44.99

-5.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.3 €85.3

$11.39 ฿374

762.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 €1.94

$3.02 ฿99.1

-25.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.14

$0.99 ฿32.63

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.77 €30.17

$14.10 ฿463

146.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.36 ฿44.71

46.32%

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

$38.7K €33.6K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

37.29%

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

$33.1K €28.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

0.68%

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

$248 €216

$122 ฿3,993

104.12%

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

$21.56 €18.71

$13.57 ฿445

58.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.93 €42.45

$18.31 ฿601

167.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.0 €62.4

$60.2 ฿1,976

19.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.5 €49.91

$17.14 ฿562

235.65%

Cinema Ticket

$13.13 €11.40

$8.69 ฿285

51.09%

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

$1,339 €1,161

$693 ฿22.8K

93.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,251 €6,291

$15.7K ฿514.7K

-53.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 €60.8

$59.5 ฿1,953

17.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.51 €39.49

$34.77 ฿1,141

30.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 €70.3

$115 ฿3,760

-29.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 €75.1

$83.3 ฿2,733

3.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 €1,293

$613 ฿20.1K

142.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 €1,045

$437 ฿14.3K

175.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 €2,316

$2,094 ฿68.7K

27.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 €1,716

$1,509 ฿49.5K

31.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 €2,085

$3,749 ฿123.0K

-35.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,360 €2,048

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-9.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,621 €2,274

$508 ฿16.7K

415.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

5.33

-13.70%

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

Last update for Carlow: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,490 in Carlow 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.

Salaries run about 416% higher in Carlow, 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 $97.0 in Carlow versus $45.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $293 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Carlow vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Carlow is pricier by about 103%, 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 $3,849 per month in Carlow 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97.0 in Carlow and $45.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,566 in Carlow and $1,265 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Carlow at $2,566. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carlow 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, Carlow makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.