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: $1,498 in Chalcis versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,210 in Chalcis versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,921 in Chalcis versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Chalcis is roughly 19% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chalcis is 11% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 €11.36

$4.56 ฿149

189.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.31 €42.48

$46.63 ฿1,519

5.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 €8.18

$8.47 ฿276

12.16%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.66

$3.03 ฿98.6

40.26%

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

$1.70 €1.46

$0.69 ฿22.45

146.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.49

$0.37 ฿11.92

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.49 ฿81.0

37.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 €3.43

$3.66 ฿119

9.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.32

$2.18 ฿71.0

-29.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.90 ฿62.0

-17.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.20 ฿71.6

-9.55%

Eggs

$4.20 €3.62

$2.22 ฿72.4

89.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 €11.67

$19.99 ฿651

-32.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.93 €8.56

$3.66 ฿119

171.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 €11.39

$13.25 ฿432

-0.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$3.23 ฿105

-36.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.70 ฿55.3

14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 €0.96

$2.39 ฿78.0

-53.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.08 ฿67.7

-7.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.59 ฿51.8

-32.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.48 ฿48.31

-16.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 €0.89

$1.03 ฿33.54

0.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 €0.42

$0.52 ฿16.83

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 €4.36

$4.25 ฿138

19.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.52 €5.62

$18.79 ฿612

-65.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.76 ฿57.2

-5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.04

$2.76 ฿89.8

-14.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.36 ฿44.32

1.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.16 €39.77

$11.36 ฿370

306.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 €4.01

$3.14 ฿102

48.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.04 ฿33.74

2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.49 €11.62

$13.77 ฿448

-2.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.34 ฿43.79

63.43%

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

$34.7K €29.9K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

25.39%

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

$29.4K €25.4K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-13.06%

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

$295 €254

$124 ฿4,025

138.30%

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

$24.01 €20.69

$13.52 ฿440

77.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.67 €27.29

$18.69 ฿609

69.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.8 €61.0

$61.8 ฿2,013

14.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.88 €8.51

$9.14 ฿298

8.10%

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

$293 €252

$703 ฿22.9K

-58.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,577 €4,805

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-64.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €96.2

$59.5 ฿1,937

87.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.35 €33.90

$35.07 ฿1,142

12.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.3

$115 ฿3,754

-13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 €82.5

$84.1 ฿2,737

13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 €454

$619 ฿20.1K

-14.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 €330

$433 ฿14.1K

-11.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$797 €687

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-61.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 €510

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-60.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,555 €2,202

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-29.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,036 €1,754

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-22.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,055 €909

$507 ฿16.5K

108.03%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $527 in Chalcis and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chalcis pays 108% 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 $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $293, 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 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Chalcis pays 108% 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: $527 in Chalcis versus $619 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 $47.00 versus $49.00 in Chalcis. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,498 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 19% less than in Chalcis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.