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: $2,146 in Groningen versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,116 in Groningen versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,086 in Groningen versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Groningen is roughly 70% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Groningen is 60% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €14.88

$4.70 ฿154

267.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 €81.0

$45.37 ฿1,483

107.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.17

$8.43 ฿276

67.62%

Cappuccino

$3.97 €3.42

$2.93 ฿95.7

35.49%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$0.69 ฿22.42

328.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.34

$0.37 ฿12.00

635.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.90

$2.41 ฿78.7

136.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 €3.58

$3.72 ฿122

11.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$2.23 ฿73.0

-40.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.83 ฿59.9

13.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

$2.17 ฿70.9

48.85%

Eggs

$4.67 €4.02

$2.21 ฿72.4

111.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 €11.98

$19.74 ฿645

-29.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 €13.04

$3.63 ฿119

317.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.48 €15.05

$13.53 ฿442

29.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.28 ฿107

-32.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$1.61 ฿52.7

59.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.41 ฿78.7

-16.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.10

$2.08 ฿68.1

73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.53 ฿49.97

41.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.48 ฿48.41

31.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$0.99 ฿32.32

31.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.51 ฿16.68

45.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.63 €11.73

$4.41 ฿144

209.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 €6.08

$19.38 ฿634

-63.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.78 ฿58.1

-15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.71 ฿88.7

-9.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.00 €3.45

$1.37 ฿44.83

191.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 €58.5

$11.39 ฿372

495.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 €3.16

$3.02 ฿98.7

21.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 €2.18

$0.99 ฿32.51

155.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 €25.94

$14.10 ฿461

113.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.36 ฿44.55

66.91%

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

$29.0K €25.0K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

2.86%

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

$32.8K €28.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-0.26%

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

$211 €182

$122 ฿3,978

73.72%

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

$21.91 €18.86

$13.57 ฿444

61.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.36 €39.92

$18.31 ฿599

153.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 €33.10

$60.2 ฿1,969

-36.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 €12.17

$17.14 ฿560

-17.56%

Cinema Ticket

$14.40 €12.40

$8.69 ฿284

65.71%

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

$1,782 €1,535

$693 ฿22.7K

157.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,651 €7,450

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-44.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 €58.4

$59.5 ฿1,946

14.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.95 €22.35

$34.77 ฿1,137

-25.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 €74.2

$115 ฿3,746

-24.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 €77.0

$83.3 ฿2,723

7.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 €1,024

$613 ฿20.0K

93.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 €774

$437 ฿14.3K

105.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 €1,491

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-17.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,167

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-10.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,570 €4,796

$3,749 ฿122.6K

48.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,272 €3,678

$2,616 ฿85.5K

63.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,903 €2,500

$508 ฿16.6K

471.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

5.33

-31.71%

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

Last update for Groningen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,189 in Groningen and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Groningen pays 471% 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: $94.0 in Groningen 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

Groningen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 70% 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.

Groningen pays 471% 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: $1,189 in Groningen versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% 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 $45.00 versus $94.0 in Groningen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,146 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 $1,265 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 70% less than in Groningen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.