Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Catania and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,561 in Catania, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Catania
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Catania Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Catania

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,561

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Catania and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Catania and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,561 in Catania versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Catania $1,561
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,390 in Catania versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Catania $2,390
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,219 in Catania versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Catania $3,219
Phuket $2,845

Living in Catania is roughly 29% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Catania is 15% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.12 €15.23

$4.40 ฿147

289.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 €49.62

$32.26 ฿1,078

72.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 €9.88

$8.76 ฿293

26.83%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.86

$2.83 ฿94.5

-25.80%

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

$2.90 €2.58

$0.90 ฿30.14

222.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$0.47 ฿15.56

340.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.70 €5.96

$2.55 ฿85.2

162.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 €3.64

$3.83 ฿128

6.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.73 ฿57.7

-24.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 €1.41

$1.47 ฿49.11

8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.39

$1.51 ฿50.6

77.48%

Eggs

$3.41 €3.03

$2.17 ฿72.7

57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 €10.12

$19.70 ฿658

-42.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.04 €10.71

$3.34 ฿112

260.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 €13.93

$11.16 ฿373

40.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$2.85 ฿95.1

-30.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.70 ฿56.9

-1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.23

$2.19 ฿73.3

-36.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.37

$2.05 ฿68.4

29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.56

$1.45 ฿48.57

21.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 €1.16

$1.38 ฿46.16

-5.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 €1.09

$1.07 ฿35.69

14.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 €0.42

$0.51 ฿16.91

-7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.57 €5.84

$4.26 ฿142

54.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 €7.02

$18.58 ฿621

-57.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.78 ฿59.7

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.85 ฿95.2

-46.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.43

$2.26 ฿75.6

-29.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.97 €32.89

$22.10 ฿738

67.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 €3.95

$3.01 ฿101

47.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.98

$1.06 ฿35.34

3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.19 €19.74

$3.86 ฿129

474.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.45 ฿48.45

46.90%

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

$36.7K €32.6K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

39.28%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

37.26%

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

$315 €280

$96.4 ฿3,221

227.07%

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

$10.58 €9.41

$11.04 ฿369

-4.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.75 €30.91

$17.14 ฿573

102.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 €53.4

$52.2 ฿1,744

14.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 €12.92

$11.16 ฿373

30.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.16 €8.15

$7.81 ฿261

17.29%

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

$447 €397

$556 ฿18.6K

-19.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,707 €5,966

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-42.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.8 €76.3

$64.2 ฿2,146

33.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.89 €30.15

$28.69 ฿959

18.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 €78.4

$95.4 ฿3,187

-7.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €114

$88.0 ฿2,940

45.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 €539

$737 ฿24.6K

-17.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 €339

$462 ฿15.5K

-17.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 €1,026

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-44.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$783 €696

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-34.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,254 €2,005

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-35.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,522 €1,354

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-39.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 €1,568

$501 ฿16.7K

252.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

5.57

-36.27%

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

Last update for Catania: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Catania

$381 24.4%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 21.2% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Catania

$361 23.1%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 65.5% $236

Groceries & Markets

Catania

$280 17.9%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 3.9% $11

Eating Out

Catania

$257 16.5%

Phuket

$121 10% 52.8% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Catania

$151 9.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 17.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Catania

$78 5%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 13.4% $11

Getting Around

Catania

$53 3.4%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 26% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Catania and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Catania pays 252% 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: $56.0 in Catania vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Catania

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

17:48 5:48 PM

5 h ahead of Catania

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,037

79,308

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Catania Phuket 8,890 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Catania
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Catania vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 252% higher in Catania, 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: $607 in Catania versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,561 per month in Catania versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 67% less than in Catania. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,561 in Catania, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Catania. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Catania, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Catania 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 29% less than in Catania. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.