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: $1,744 in Cento versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,733 in Cento versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,722 in Cento versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Cento is roughly 39% more expensive than in 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

$20.52 €17.97

$4.55 ฿153

350.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €69.7

$46.18 ฿1,553

72.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 €9.71

$8.84 ฿297

25.34%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.80

$3.06 ฿103

-33.01%

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

$2.74 €2.40

$0.73 ฿24.40

275.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.26

$0.40 ฿13.39

257.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 €4.93

$2.43 ฿81.8

131.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 €5.16

$3.78 ฿127

55.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 €1.36

$2.26 ฿76.0

-30.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 €2.29

$1.81 ฿60.9

44.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.35

$2.25 ฿75.8

19.11%

Eggs

$4.40 €3.86

$2.25 ฿75.5

95.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.39 €18.73

$19.51 ฿656

9.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 €11.58

$3.65 ฿123

262.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 €15.56

$13.05 ฿439

36.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$3.23 ฿109

-24.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.62 ฿54.4

36.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.71

$2.38 ฿80.1

-18.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$2.03 ฿68.1

40.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.38

$1.53 ฿51.6

2.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.24

$1.50 ฿50.5

-6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 €1.55

$0.98 ฿32.91

80.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 €0.44

$0.52 ฿17.39

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.25

$4.44 ฿149

60.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.07 €7.07

$18.32 ฿616

-55.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.86 ฿62.7

-10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 €1.61

$2.68 ฿90.1

-31.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.48

$1.41 ฿47.46

19.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.63 €38.21

$11.70 ฿393

272.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 €4.98

$3.11 ฿105

82.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.29

$1.04 ฿35.06

41.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.48 €24.94

$14.11 ฿474

101.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.82

$1.31 ฿44.10

58.02%

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

$26.1K €22.9K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

-6.05%

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

$34.6K €30.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

4.07%

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

$183 €161

$122 ฿4,118

49.72%

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

$11.30 €9.89

$13.59 ฿457

-16.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.33 €26.57

$18.70 ฿629

62.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 €47.23

$60.5 ฿2,034

-10.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.39 €20.49

$16.98 ฿571

37.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 €9.71

$9.07 ฿305

22.27%

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

$678 €594

$706 ฿23.8K

-4.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,173 €7,158

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-48.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 €82.1

$58.6 ฿1,969

60.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.54 €39.01

$35.36 ฿1,189

25.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 €85.0

$115 ฿3,883

-15.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 €152

$83.7 ฿2,816

106.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 €648

$626 ฿21.0K

18.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 €516

$445 ฿15.0K

32.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,217 €1,066

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-40.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$926 €811

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-37.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,537 €2,222

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-27.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,075 €1,817

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-19.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,824 €1,597

$500 ฿16.8K

264.87%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $740 in Cento and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cento pays 265% 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: $80.0 in Cento vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $289 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 39% 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 265% 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: $740 in Cento versus $626 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 273% less than in Cento. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $678 in Cento versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,744 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 $1,250 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 39% less than in Cento. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.