Cost of Living Comparison Between Cinque Terre and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cinque Terre and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,833 per month in Cinque Terre vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,807 per month in Cinque Terre vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,782 per month in Cinque Terre vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Cinque Terre costs about 49% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cinque Terre sits 37% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.21 €19.82

$4.63 ฿151

401.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.2 €78.8

$46.84 ฿1,523

96.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.72 €10.01

$8.84 ฿287

32.58%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.78

$3.00 ฿97.4

-30.33%

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

$3.41 €2.91

$0.74 ฿24.11

360.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.26

$0.37 ฿11.88

297.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.06

$2.44 ฿79.3

143.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 €5.55

$3.61 ฿117

80.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.10

$2.26 ฿73.5

-42.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 €2.16

$1.84 ฿59.8

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 €2.24

$2.24 ฿73.0

16.96%

Eggs

$4.37 €3.73

$2.32 ฿75.3

88.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.92 €13.60

$19.67 ฿639

-19.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.86 €10.98

$3.65 ฿119

252.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.17 €18.94

$13.10 ฿426

69.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.24

$3.39 ฿110

-22.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.00

$1.64 ฿53.4

43.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 €2.37

$2.41 ฿78.5

15.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 €2.65

$2.03 ฿66.0

52.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.84

$1.56 ฿50.6

38.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.63

$1.50 ฿48.66

27.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.33

$1.02 ฿33.30

52.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 €0.39

$0.49 ฿15.91

-6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.86 €5.86

$4.45 ฿145

54.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.29 €7.94

$18.88 ฿614

-50.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.66

$1.78 ฿57.7

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.20

$2.75 ฿89.5

-6.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.40 ฿45.54

20.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €37.59

$11.48 ฿373

283.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 €7.51

$3.12 ฿101

182.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.00 ฿32.48

84.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.69 €9.98

$14.09 ฿458

-17.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$1.35 ฿43.93

48.89%

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

$31.5K €26.9K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

16.02%

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

$40.3K €34.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

22.53%

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

$248 €212

$125 ฿4,063

98.50%

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

$14.66 €12.52

$13.57 ฿441

8.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.03 €28.20

$18.52 ฿602

78.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 €46.39

$61.5 ฿1,999

-11.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 €19.54

$16.84 ฿547

35.87%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 €10.36

$9.19 ฿299

31.99%

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

$766 €654

$698 ฿22.7K

9.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,896 €6,743

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-49.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.0 €67.5

$57.8 ฿1,878

36.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.66 €21.06

$35.24 ฿1,146

-30.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 €70.0

$113 ฿3,677

-27.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €90.2

$86.4 ฿2,808

22.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 €641

$616 ฿20.0K

21.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 €494

$446 ฿14.5K

29.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 €1,019

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-41.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 €795

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-37.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,241 €2,767

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-14.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,151 €1,837

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-18.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

5.33

-19.32%

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

Last update for Cinque Terre: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $750 in Cinque Terre versus $616 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92.0 in Cinque Terre versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $292 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cinque Terre vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,833 in Cinque Terre, $1,232 in Phuket – roughly 49% apart. Cinque Terre costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,749 per month in Cinque Terre and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $766 per month in Cinque Terre and $698 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Cinque Terre, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Cinque Terre at $1,833. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cinque Terre it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,232 in Phuket to $1,833 in Cinque Terre. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cinque Terre makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.