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 $2,052 per month in Cinque Terre vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,080 per month in Cinque Terre vs $2,054 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,109 per month in Cinque Terre vs $2,876 in Phuket, rent included.

Cinque Terre costs about 67% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cinque Terre sits 50% above the global median, while Phuket is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.85 €19.91

$4.41 ฿147

418.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 €76.0

$32.26 ฿1,073

170.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.25 €10.67

$8.93 ฿297

37.18%

Cappuccino

$2.68 €2.34

$2.90 ฿96.3

-7.59%

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

$3.66 €3.19

$0.88 ฿29.27

315.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.47

$0.48 ฿16.00

252.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.02 €6.12

$2.35 ฿78.2

198.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 €6.05

$3.72 ฿124

86.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.87 ฿62.0

7.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 €3.02

$1.47 ฿48.75

136.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.86

$1.55 ฿51.6

111.61%

Eggs

$4.59 €4.00

$2.10 ฿69.9

118.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.54 €20.51

$19.59 ฿651

20.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.08 €11.39

$3.42 ฿114

282.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.37 €21.23

$11.38 ฿378

114.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 €2.49

$2.98 ฿99.2

-4.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$1.68 ฿56.0

44.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 €2.28

$2.21 ฿73.5

18.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 €3.37

$2.16 ฿71.9

79.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 €1.98

$1.52 ฿50.7

49.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.89

$1.34 ฿44.49

61.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.13 ฿37.53

50.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 €0.54

$0.55 ฿18.17

12.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.97

$4.26 ฿142

60.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.38 €8.17

$19.09 ฿635

-50.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 €2.20

$1.78 ฿59.2

41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.78 ฿92.5

-8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.23 ฿74.1

-21.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.16 €40.22

$22.74 ฿756

102.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.98 €8.70

$3.03 ฿101

229.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.02 ฿34.02

59.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 €27.68

$3.89 ฿129

716.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.78

$1.49 ฿49.57

37.58%

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

$38.1K €33.2K

$26.6K ฿883.8K

43.27%

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

$38.3K €33.4K

$27.0K ฿898.7K

41.72%

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

$345 €300

$102 ฿3,407

236.22%

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

$14.79 €12.89

$11.33 ฿377

30.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.89 €27.78

$17.40 ฿578

83.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 €52.7

$52.1 ฿1,732

16.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.12 €20.14

$11.07 ฿368

108.85%

Cinema Ticket

$16.05 €13.98

$7.69 ฿256

108.71%

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

$936 €815

$561 ฿18.6K

66.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €14.9K

$11.5K ฿382.6K

48.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 €107

$63.0 ฿2,096

94.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.08 €41.02

$29.52 ฿982

59.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €102

$98.0 ฿3,259

19.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$170 €148

$88.5 ฿2,943

91.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 €618

$738 ฿24.5K

-3.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 €547

$482 ฿16.0K

30.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 €1,027

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-44.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 €761

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-28.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,100 €2,701

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-14.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,934 €1,685

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-25.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.47

5.57

-37.70%

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

Last update for Cinque Terre: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $709 in Cinque Terre versus $738 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 $87.0 in Cinque Terre versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $274 – 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: $2,052 in Cinque Terre, $1,232 in Phuket – roughly 67% apart. Cinque Terre costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,078 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 $936 per month in Cinque Terre and $561 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% 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 $2,052. 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 $2,052 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.