Cost of Living Comparison Between Dessau and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Dessau and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,794 in Dessau versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,980 in Dessau versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,166 in Dessau versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Dessau is roughly 42% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dessau is 35% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.18 €16.61

$4.48 ฿150

328.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 €50.6

$45.59 ฿1,521

28.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 €10.35

$8.76 ฿292

36.42%

Cappuccino

$3.80 €3.29

$2.97 ฿99.0

27.95%

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

$2.58 €2.23

$0.69 ฿22.90

273.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.62

$0.39 ฿13.04

676.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.16 €4.47

$2.53 ฿84.4

103.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 €3.45

$3.75 ฿125

6.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.06

$2.15 ฿71.6

-43.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.82 ฿60.6

29.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 €2.92

$2.18 ฿72.9

55.05%

Eggs

$3.82 €3.31

$2.25 ฿75.0

69.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.92 €12.92

$20.00 ฿667

-25.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.38 €12.46

$3.63 ฿121

296.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.98 €20.77

$13.56 ฿452

76.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.55

$3.24 ฿108

-9.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.64 ฿54.6

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.33 ฿77.8

-1.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 €4.27

$2.07 ฿69.1

138.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.55 ฿51.6

-1.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.46 ฿48.54

2.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.98 ฿32.86

110.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 €1.06

$0.48 ฿16.09

156.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 €8.08

$4.35 ฿145

114.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 €5.80

$18.57 ฿620

-63.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.83

$1.86 ฿61.9

-48.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.46

$2.65 ฿88.6

-36.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €1.94

$1.42 ฿47.28

57.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.8 €54.4

$11.57 ฿386

442.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.58

$3.17 ฿106

66.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.67 €2.31

$1.03 ฿34.41

159.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.01 €30.32

$13.89 ฿463

152.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.34 ฿44.84

41.79%

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

$30.9K €26.8K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

11.32%

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

$38.9K €33.7K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

16.41%

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

$332 €287

$123 ฿4,105

169.48%

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

$11.58 €10.03

$13.77 ฿459

-15.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.6 €47.27

$18.33 ฿611

197.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.78 €27.52

$60.7 ฿2,025

-47.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.58 €20.42

$17.16 ฿573

37.41%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 €11.06

$8.87 ฿296

43.97%

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

$232 €201

$688 ฿22.9K

-66.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K €9,888

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-27.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.9 €81.3

$59.3 ฿1,978

58.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.80 €42.26

$34.69 ฿1,157

40.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$152 €132

$115 ฿3,843

32.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$188 €162

$83.8 ฿2,794

123.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 €403

$621 ฿20.7K

-25.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 €328

$446 ฿14.9K

-15.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 €659

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-62.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,079

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-16.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,398 €2,943

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-1.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,812 €1,569

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-28.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,206 €1,910

$494 ฿16.5K

346.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

5.33

-25.33%

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

Last update for Dessau: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $465 in Dessau and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dessau pays 347% 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: $58.0 in Dessau vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $291 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Dessau vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 347% higher in Dessau, 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: $465 in Dessau versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Dessau. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $58.0 in Dessau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,794 in Dessau, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Dessau. 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 Dessau, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dessau 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 42% less than in Dessau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.