Cost of Living Comparison Between Enschede and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Enschede and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,412 in Enschede versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,738 in Enschede versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,064 in Enschede versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Enschede is roughly 93% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Enschede is 76% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.68 €18.66

$4.56 ฿150

375.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 €69.8

$32.62 ฿1,072

148.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.36 €14.08

$8.90 ฿293

83.82%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.72

$2.80 ฿92.2

54.29%

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

$3.68 €3.17

$0.88 ฿28.93

318.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.59

$0.49 ฿16.08

514.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.54 €5.63

$2.39 ฿78.5

173.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 €5.91

$3.71 ฿122

85.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.79 ฿58.7

-21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.44 ฿47.38

74.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.58 ฿52.1

82.28%

Eggs

$4.73 €4.07

$2.13 ฿69.9

122.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.16 €12.18

$19.92 ฿655

-28.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.27 €13.14

$3.43 ฿113

345.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 €13.16

$11.33 ฿372

35.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 €2.52

$2.95 ฿96.9

-0.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.72 ฿56.6

33.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.32 ฿76.4

2.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 €4.37

$2.08 ฿68.4

144.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.47 ฿48.33

46.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.36 ฿44.64

53.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.10 ฿36.12

13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.63

$0.57 ฿18.89

29.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.25 €12.26

$4.27 ฿140

233.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.14 €6.14

$18.42 ฿605

-61.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.87 ฿61.5

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 €2.61

$2.92 ฿96.0

3.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.67

$2.22 ฿72.9

40.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €100

$22.90 ฿753

408.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 €3.31

$3.03 ฿99.6

26.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 €2.33

$1.07 ฿35.31

153.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.18 €24.25

$3.93 ฿129

617.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.44 €2.10

$1.49 ฿49.04

63.76%

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

$43.8K €37.7K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

61.51%

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

$40.9K €35.2K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

48.95%

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

$277 €238

$103 ฿3,379

169.23%

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

$22.65 €19.49

$10.99 ฿361

106.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.12 €39.69

$17.51 ฿576

163.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.51 €29.70

$53.5 ฿1,760

-35.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.14 €20.77

$11.20 ฿368

115.54%

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 €17.20

$7.48 ฿246

167.25%

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

$1,274 €1,096

$557 ฿18.3K

128.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,258 €7,106

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-30.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.9 €84.3

$64.1 ฿2,106

52.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.72 €33.32

$29.07 ฿956

33.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 €82.9

$96.0 ฿3,154

0.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €90.5

$90.3 ฿2,970

16.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 €1,169

$730 ฿24.0K

86.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 €908

$500 ฿16.4K

111.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,581 €2,221

$2,090 ฿68.7K

23.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,772

$1,209 ฿39.7K

70.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,773 €4,107

$3,596 ฿118.2K

32.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,313 €2,851

$2,512 ฿82.6K

31.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,978 €2,563

$503 ฿16.5K

491.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

5.57

-17.41%

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

Last update for Enschede: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,358 in Enschede and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Enschede pays 492% 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: $81.0 in Enschede vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $273 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

Enschede vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Enschede and Phuket differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($2,412 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 492% higher in Enschede, 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: $1,358 in Enschede versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,412 per month in Enschede versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 408% less than in Enschede. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,412 in Enschede, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Enschede. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Enschede 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 93% less than in Enschede. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.