Cost of Living Comparison Between Chalcis and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Chalcis and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,535 in Chalcis versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,233 in Chalcis versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,930 in Chalcis versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Chalcis is roughly 21% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chalcis is 15% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.57 €11.75

$4.48 ฿150

202.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.70 €42.18

$45.59 ฿1,521

6.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 €8.23

$8.76 ฿292

8.45%

Cappuccino

$4.17 €3.61

$2.97 ฿99.0

40.40%

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

$1.69 €1.46

$0.69 ฿22.90

144.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.49

$0.39 ฿13.04

43.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €2.96

$2.53 ฿84.4

35.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 €3.42

$3.75 ฿125

5.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.29

$2.15 ฿71.6

-30.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 €1.41

$1.82 ฿60.6

-10.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.71

$2.18 ฿72.9

-9.63%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.51

$2.25 ฿75.0

80.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.57 €11.75

$20.00 ฿667

-32.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.77 €8.46

$3.63 ฿121

169.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 €11.47

$13.56 ฿452

-2.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$3.24 ฿108

-36.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.64 ฿54.6

12.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 €0.98

$2.33 ฿77.8

-51.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.72

$2.07 ฿69.1

-4.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.55 ฿51.6

-30.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.46 ฿48.54

-13.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 €0.87

$0.98 ฿32.86

2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 €0.39

$0.48 ฿16.09

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 €4.41

$4.35 ฿145

17.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 €5.74

$18.57 ฿620

-64.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.86 ฿61.9

-10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.03

$2.65 ฿88.6

-11.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 €1.24

$1.42 ฿47.28

0.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.72 €39.59

$11.57 ฿386

295.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.75 €4.12

$3.17 ฿106

49.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.03 ฿34.41

2.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.86 €12.00

$13.89 ฿463

-0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.34 ฿44.84

56.72%

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

$34.8K €30.1K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

25.12%

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

$29.4K €25.4K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-12.06%

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

$286 €248

$123 ฿4,105

132.65%

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

$23.78 €20.60

$13.77 ฿459

72.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.97 €26.82

$18.33 ฿611

68.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 €59.2

$60.7 ฿2,025

12.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 €8.78

$8.87 ฿296

14.21%

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

$297 €257

$688 ฿22.9K

-56.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,447 €4,717

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-65.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 €96.5

$59.3 ฿1,978

87.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.12 €33.88

$34.69 ฿1,157

12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.5

$115 ฿3,843

-12.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 €82.7

$83.8 ฿2,794

14.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 €460

$621 ฿20.7K

-14.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 €325

$446 ฿14.9K

-15.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 €673

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-61.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €524

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-59.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,545 €2,204

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-26.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,009 €1,740

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-20.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,031 €893

$494 ฿16.5K

108.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

5.33

-18.57%

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

Last update for Chalcis: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $531 in Chalcis and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chalcis pays 109% 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: $49.00 in Chalcis vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $291, with Chalcis cheaper for home cooking.

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

Chalcis vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 109% higher in Chalcis, 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: $531 in Chalcis versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chalcis pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $49.00 in Chalcis. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,535 in Chalcis, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Chalcis. 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 Chalcis, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chalcis 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 21% less than in Chalcis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.