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: $2,392 in Enschede versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,779 in Enschede versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,167 in Enschede versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Enschede is roughly 89% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Enschede is 78% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.29 €16.59

$4.70 ฿153

310.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.6 €73.6

$45.37 ฿1,482

88.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.08 €12.11

$8.43 ฿275

67.02%

Cappuccino

$4.00 €3.44

$2.93 ฿95.6

36.52%

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

$2.85 €2.45

$0.69 ฿22.40

313.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$0.37 ฿11.99

483.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 €6.00

$2.41 ฿78.6

189.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 €5.00

$3.72 ฿122

56.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.09

$2.23 ฿72.9

-43.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.83 ฿59.8

26.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.83

$2.17 ฿70.8

51.15%

Eggs

$4.79 €4.12

$2.21 ฿72.3

116.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 €11.07

$19.74 ฿645

-34.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.54 €13.37

$3.63 ฿119

328.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 €14.15

$13.53 ฿442

21.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$3.28 ฿107

-34.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 €2.23

$1.61 ฿52.6

61.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.41 ฿78.6

-22.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.32

$2.08 ฿68.1

85.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.53 ฿49.93

41.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.48 ฿48.36

28.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.99 ฿32.29

25.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.67

$0.51 ฿16.67

50.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.58 €12.54

$4.41 ฿144

230.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.27 €6.26

$19.38 ฿633

-62.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.78 ฿58.1

-12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 €2.49

$2.71 ฿88.6

6.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 €2.65

$1.37 ฿44.79

124.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 €98.4

$11.39 ฿372

904.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.64

$3.02 ฿98.6

40.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 €2.03

$0.99 ฿32.48

138.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.39 €22.70

$14.10 ฿461

87.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.36 ฿44.51

62.50%

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

$42.1K €36.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

49.23%

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

$37.0K €31.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

12.60%

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

$260 €224

$122 ฿3,975

113.94%

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

$29.74 €25.58

$13.57 ฿443

119.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.95 €35.23

$18.31 ฿598

123.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.17 €31.11

$60.2 ฿1,967

-39.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.10 €6.11

$17.14 ฿560

-58.58%

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 €13.07

$8.69 ฿284

74.91%

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

$1,087 €935

$693 ฿22.6K

56.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,128 €7,852

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-41.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 €77.7

$59.5 ฿1,944

51.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.41 €33.90

$34.77 ฿1,136

13.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 €81.6

$115 ฿3,743

-17.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €94.7

$83.3 ฿2,720

32.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 €1,249

$613 ฿20.0K

136.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 €912

$437 ฿14.3K

142.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,621 €2,254

$2,094 ฿68.4K

25.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 €1,883

$1,509 ฿49.3K

45.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,773 €4,105

$3,749 ฿122.5K

27.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,306 €2,844

$2,616 ฿85.4K

26.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,213 €2,763

$508 ฿16.6K

532.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

5.33

-13.70%

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

Last update for Enschede: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,452 in Enschede and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Enschede pays 532% 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: $86.0 in Enschede vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $293 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 89% in total monthly costs ($2,392 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Enschede pays 532% more on average, 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: $1,452 in Enschede versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,392 per month in Enschede versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 904% less than in Enschede. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,392 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 89% less than in Enschede. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.