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: $1,752 in Cento versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,714 in Cento versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,676 in Cento versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Cento is roughly 38% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cento is 31% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.74 €17.86

$4.70 ฿153

341.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 €70.3

$45.37 ฿1,482

79.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 €9.49

$8.43 ฿275

30.84%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.80

$2.93 ฿95.6

-28.67%

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

$2.76 €2.38

$0.69 ฿22.40

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$0.37 ฿11.99

283.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$2.41 ฿78.6

143.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 €4.90

$3.72 ฿122

52.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.37

$2.23 ฿72.9

-28.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.19

$1.83 ฿59.8

39.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.40

$2.17 ฿70.8

28.11%

Eggs

$4.40 €3.78

$2.21 ฿72.3

99.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.21 €18.26

$19.74 ฿645

7.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.37 €11.51

$3.63 ฿119

268.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.65 €15.20

$13.53 ฿442

30.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$3.28 ฿107

-28.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.61 ฿52.6

32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.41 ฿78.6

-16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.08 ฿68.1

45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.53 ฿49.93

6.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.48 ฿48.36

-4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.99 ฿32.29

73.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 €0.46

$0.51 ฿16.67

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.03

$4.41 ฿144

58.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.30 €7.14

$19.38 ฿633

-57.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.44

$1.78 ฿58.1

-5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.71 ฿88.6

-30.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.37 ฿44.79

28.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.14 €37.14

$11.39 ฿372

278.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 €5.06

$3.02 ฿98.6

94.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 €1.26

$0.99 ฿32.48

47.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.81 €24.81

$14.10 ฿461

104.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.36 ฿44.51

48.53%

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

$26.0K €22.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-7.68%

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

$34.4K €29.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

4.54%

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

$183 €157

$122 ฿3,975

50.21%

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

$11.55 €9.95

$13.57 ฿443

-14.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.69 €26.42

$18.31 ฿598

67.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €46.70

$60.2 ฿1,967

-9.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.77 €19.60

$17.14 ฿560

32.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.93 €9.41

$8.69 ฿284

25.78%

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

$654 €563

$693 ฿22.6K

-5.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,089 €6,964

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-48.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 €78.2

$59.5 ฿1,944

52.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.63 €37.56

$34.77 ฿1,136

25.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 €85.1

$115 ฿3,743

-13.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €146

$83.3 ฿2,720

104.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 €657

$613 ฿20.0K

24.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 €490

$437 ฿14.3K

30.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 €1,033

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-42.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 €784

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-39.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,807 €2,416

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-25.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,891 €1,628

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-27.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,849 €1,592

$508 ฿16.6K

263.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

5.33

-21.76%

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

Last update for Cento: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $764 in Cento and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 264% 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: $82.0 in Cento vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 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

Cento vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 38% 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.

Cento pays 264% 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: $764 in Cento versus $613 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 279% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $654 in Cento versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,752 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 $1,265 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 38% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.