Cost of Living Comparison Between Groningen and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Groningen and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,288 in Groningen versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,495 in Groningen versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,702 in Groningen versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Groningen is roughly 83% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Groningen is 66% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.20 €18.23

$4.56 ฿150

364.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 €85.7

$32.62 ฿1,073

205.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.22 €13.95

$8.90 ฿293

82.25%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €3.94

$2.80 ฿92.2

63.57%

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

$3.90 €3.36

$0.88 ฿28.94

343.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.84

$0.49 ฿16.08

573.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.10

$2.39 ฿78.5

148.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.88

$3.71 ฿122

53.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.79 ฿58.8

-16.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.44 ฿47.40

89.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.58 ฿52.1

80.38%

Eggs

$4.69 €4.03

$2.13 ฿69.9

120.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 €11.78

$19.92 ฿655

-31.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.50 €11.61

$3.43 ฿113

293.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.24 €19.12

$11.33 ฿372

96.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.66

$2.95 ฿97.0

5.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.72 ฿56.6

47.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 €2.28

$2.32 ฿76.5

14.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 €4.32

$2.08 ฿68.4

141.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.47 ฿48.34

55.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.36 ฿44.65

19.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.10 ฿36.13

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$0.57 ฿18.89

122.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.05 €12.94

$4.27 ฿140

252.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 €5.90

$18.42 ฿606

-62.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.87 ฿61.5

-22.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.17

$2.92 ฿96.1

-13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.27 €3.67

$2.22 ฿73.0

92.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €59.6

$22.90 ฿753

202.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 €5.88

$3.03 ฿99.6

125.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.07 ฿35.32

166.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.82 €25.63

$3.93 ฿129

658.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.57 €2.21

$1.49 ฿49.06

72.48%

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

$43.5K €37.4K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

60.48%

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

$40.3K €34.6K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

46.70%

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

$234 €201

$103 ฿3,380

127.17%

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

$21.65 €18.61

$10.99 ฿361

97.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €43.92

$17.51 ฿576

191.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 €34.62

$53.5 ฿1,760

-24.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.72 €13.52

$11.20 ฿368

40.36%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 €15.09

$7.48 ฿246

134.76%

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

$1,818 €1,563

$557 ฿18.3K

226.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,840 €6,740

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-33.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.4

$64.1 ฿2,107

58.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.18 €39.70

$29.07 ฿956

58.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €93.8

$96.0 ฿3,155

13.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €124

$90.3 ฿2,970

59.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 €1,176

$730 ฿24.0K

87.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 €789

$500 ฿16.4K

83.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,958 €1,684

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-6.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,245

$1,209 ฿39.8K

19.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,591 €4,807

$3,596 ฿118.2K

55.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,027 €3,462

$2,512 ฿82.6K

60.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,132 €2,692

$503 ฿16.6K

522.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

5.57

-35.01%

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

Last update for Groningen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,368 in Groningen and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Groningen pays 522% 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: $100 in Groningen vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 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

Groningen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Groningen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 522% higher in Groningen, 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: $1,368 in Groningen versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Groningen. 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 $33.00 versus $100 in Groningen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,288 in Groningen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Groningen. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,253 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Groningen 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 83% less than in Groningen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.