Cost of Living Comparison Between Cortona and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cortona and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,658 per month in Cortona vs $1,270 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,523 per month in Cortona vs $2,304 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,387 per month in Cortona vs $3,339 in Phuket, rent included.

Cortona costs about 31% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cortona sits 24% above the global median, while Phuket is 5% below โ€“ they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Cortona
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.81 โ‚ฌ11.73
$4.66 เธฟ149
196.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.0 โ‚ฌ62.8
$46.44 เธฟ1,488
59.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.55 โ‚ฌ9.81
$8.68 เธฟ278
33.06%
Cappuccino
$1.77 โ‚ฌ1.50
$2.95 เธฟ94.4
-40.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 โ‚ฌ2.12
$0.70 เธฟ22.39
255.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 โ‚ฌ1.09
$0.39 เธฟ12.63
228.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 โ‚ฌ4.87
$2.53 เธฟ81.1
126.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.23 โ‚ฌ4.44
$3.78 เธฟ121
38.36%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Cortona
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 โ‚ฌ1.49
$2.22 เธฟ71.1
-21.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.16 โ‚ฌ1.84
$1.80 เธฟ57.5
20.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.95 โ‚ฌ2.50
$2.19 เธฟ70.0
34.70%
Eggs
$4.51 โ‚ฌ3.83
$2.31 เธฟ74.0
95.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.54 โ‚ฌ14.90
$19.34 เธฟ620
-9.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.10 โ‚ฌ10.27
$3.77 เธฟ121
220.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.40 โ‚ฌ17.32
$13.22 เธฟ424
54.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.42 โ‚ฌ2.05
$3.33 เธฟ107
-27.33%
Banana (1kg)
$2.33 โ‚ฌ1.98
$1.65 เธฟ52.8
41.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 โ‚ฌ1.65
$2.29 เธฟ73.3
-15.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.70 โ‚ฌ2.29
$1.99 เธฟ63.7
35.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.73 โ‚ฌ1.47
$1.53 เธฟ48.96
13.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.84 โ‚ฌ1.56
$1.51 เธฟ48.50
21.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.26 โ‚ฌ1.07
$1.03 เธฟ32.93
22.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 โ‚ฌ0.47
$0.51 เธฟ16.47
7.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.89 โ‚ฌ5.85
$4.41 เธฟ141
56.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.58 โ‚ฌ7.29
$19.41 เธฟ622
-55.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 โ‚ฌ1.57
$1.80 เธฟ57.6
2.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.74 โ‚ฌ2.33
$2.68 เธฟ85.9
2.24%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Cortona
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.77 โ‚ฌ1.50
$1.43 เธฟ45.86
23.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.95 โ‚ฌ37.31
$11.70 เธฟ375
275.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.37 โ‚ฌ4.56
$3.04 เธฟ97.3
76.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 โ‚ฌ1.24
$1.04 เธฟ33.19
40.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.78 โ‚ฌ29.53
$13.68 เธฟ438
154.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.95 โ‚ฌ1.65
$1.30 เธฟ41.61
50.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.2K โ‚ฌ24.8K
$27.9K เธฟ893.9K
4.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.4K โ‚ฌ25.0K
$33.0K เธฟ1.1M
-10.98%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cortona
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$226 โ‚ฌ192
$123 เธฟ3,940
83.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.07 โ‚ฌ9.40
$13.82 เธฟ443
-19.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.56 โ‚ฌ26.80
$18.86 เธฟ604
67.34%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Cortona
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.9 โ‚ฌ45.75
$61.2 เธฟ1,959
-11.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.81 โ‚ฌ19.36
$16.81 เธฟ538
35.69%
Cinema Ticket
$11.76 โ‚ฌ9.98
$8.87 เธฟ284
32.58%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Cortona
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$290 โ‚ฌ246
$696 เธฟ22.3K
-58.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K โ‚ฌ8,907
$16.1K เธฟ514.5K
-34.67%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Cortona
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.5 โ‚ฌ62.4
$59.3 เธฟ1,899
23.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.44 โ‚ฌ30.09
$34.85 เธฟ1,117
1.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.7 โ‚ฌ71.9
$113 เธฟ3,626
-25.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 โ‚ฌ102
$85.1 เธฟ2,725
41.34%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Cortona
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$755 โ‚ฌ641
$615 เธฟ19.7K
22.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$585 โ‚ฌ497
$448 เธฟ14.4K
30.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,191 โ‚ฌ1,011
$2,085 เธฟ66.8K
-42.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$943 โ‚ฌ801
$1,496 เธฟ47.9K
-36.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,422 โ‚ฌ2,056
$3,734 เธฟ119.7K
-35.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,662 เธฟ85.3K
-
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Cortona
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,732 โ‚ฌ2,319
$534 เธฟ17.1K
412.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.95
5.33
-25.89%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cortona: April 22, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $755 in Cortona versus $615 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 412% higher in Cortona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Cortona versus $46 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $291 โ€“ 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
Cortona vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Cortona and Phuket compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,658 in Cortona, $1,270 in Phuket โ€“ roughly 31% apart. Cortona costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Cortona compared to Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,487 per month in Cortona and $1,904 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Cortona and Phuket?
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.
How do commuting costs compare in Cortona and Phuket?
Public transport costs about 276% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Cortona and Phuket?
Kindergarten costs $290 per month in Cortona and $696 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,270, than in Cortona at $1,658. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cortona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Cortona and Phuket?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,270 in Phuket to $1,658 in Cortona. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Cortona or Phuket safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison โ€“ central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Cortona and Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cortona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Cortona vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities