Cost of Living Comparison Between Cento and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cento and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,682 in Cento versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Cento versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,783 in Cento versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Cento is roughly 37% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cento is 23% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.12 €18.38

$4.41 ฿147

378.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.9 €81.7

$32.26 ฿1,074

191.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 €10.47

$8.93 ฿297

34.71%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.97

$2.90 ฿96.4

-22.07%

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

$3.37 €2.94

$0.88 ฿29.30

282.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.45

$0.48 ฿16.01

245.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 €5.60

$2.35 ฿78.3

174.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €5.05

$3.72 ฿124

55.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.87 ฿62.1

-24.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.43

$1.47 ฿48.81

89.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 €2.39

$1.55 ฿51.7

77.42%

Eggs

$3.99 €3.47

$2.10 ฿70.0

90.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.38 €16.86

$19.59 ฿652

-1.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.83 €11.17

$3.42 ฿114

275.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 €15.62

$11.38 ฿379

57.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$2.98 ฿99.3

-23.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.68 ฿56.1

1.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.69

$2.21 ฿73.5

-12.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.27

$2.16 ฿72.0

20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.37

$1.52 ฿50.8

3.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 €1.22

$1.34 ฿44.55

4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.13 ฿37.57

50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.55 ฿18.19

1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.99 €6.09

$4.26 ฿142

64.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 €7.07

$19.09 ฿635

-57.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.78 ฿59.2

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.78 ฿92.6

-28.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.49

$2.23 ฿74.2

-22.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 €43.06

$22.74 ฿757

117.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €4.02

$3.03 ฿101

52.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 €1.33

$1.02 ฿34.06

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.69 €24.97

$3.89 ฿130

637.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.49 ฿49.63

42.95%

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

$36.9K €32.2K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

39.00%

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

$35.7K €31.1K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

32.00%

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

$225 €195

$102 ฿3,411

119.16%

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

$11.56 €10.06

$11.33 ฿377

2.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 €24.64

$17.40 ฿579

62.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 €43.74

$52.1 ฿1,734

-3.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.02 €21.78

$11.07 ฿369

126.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.37 €9.03

$7.69 ฿256

34.85%

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

$579 €504

$561 ฿18.7K

3.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,588 €3,993

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-60.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.7 €84.1

$63.0 ฿2,098

53.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.52 €37.88

$29.52 ฿983

47.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.5

$98.0 ฿3,263

4.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 €135

$88.5 ฿2,946

75.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 €485

$738 ฿24.6K

-24.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 €405

$482 ฿16.1K

-3.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 €959

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-47.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$972 €846

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-20.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,122 €2,717

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-13.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 €1,739

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-23.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,812 €1,577

$494 ฿16.4K

267.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.22

5.57

-42.19%

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

Last update for Cento: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $557 in Cento and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 267% 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: $94.0 in Cento vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $274 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

Cento vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Cento. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 267% higher in Cento, 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: $557 in Cento versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 118% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $579 in Cento versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,682 in Cento, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cento. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cento 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 37% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.