Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Haarlem and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,909 per month in Haarlem vs $1,250 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,195 per month in Haarlem vs $2,284 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,481 per month in Haarlem vs $3,317 in Phuket, rent included.

Haarlem costs about 133% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Haarlem sits 118% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.15 €25.47

$4.55 ฿153

540.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €91.1

$46.18 ฿1,550

125.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.07 €12.30

$8.84 ฿297

59.16%

Cappuccino

$4.51 €3.94

$3.06 ฿103

47.39%

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

$4.09 €3.57

$0.73 ฿24.36

460.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.00

$0.40 ฿13.37

757.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 €6.08

$2.43 ฿81.6

186.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 €5.05

$3.78 ฿127

52.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.22

$2.26 ฿75.8

-38.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 €2.23

$1.81 ฿60.8

40.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.69

$2.25 ฿75.7

36.89%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.15

$2.25 ฿75.4

111.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.35 €12.54

$19.51 ฿655

-26.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.72 €13.73

$3.65 ฿122

330.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 €16.57

$13.05 ฿438

45.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.32

$3.23 ฿109

-17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 €2.22

$1.62 ฿54.3

56.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$2.38 ฿80.0

-18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 €3.55

$2.03 ฿68.0

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.53 ฿51.5

34.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.50 ฿50.4

30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.09

$0.98 ฿32.85

26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.82

$0.52 ฿17.36

80.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 €12.44

$4.44 ฿149

220.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.80

$18.32 ฿615

-57.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.86 ฿62.6

-18.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 €2.18

$2.68 ฿90.0

-6.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.72

$1.41 ฿47.37

120.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 €97.2

$11.70 ฿393

850.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 €5.04

$3.11 ฿104

85.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.04 ฿35.00

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.26 €23.82

$14.11 ฿474

93.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.95

$1.31 ฿44.02

70.23%

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

$41.1K €35.9K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

47.91%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

17.48%

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

$245 €214

$122 ฿4,110

100.50%

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

$28.53 €24.93

$13.59 ฿456

109.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 €51.1

$18.70 ฿628

212.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.02 €35.84

$60.5 ฿2,031

-32.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.85 €20.84

$16.98 ฿570

40.46%

Cinema Ticket

$16.60 €14.51

$9.07 ฿305

83.02%

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

$2,698 €2,357

$706 ฿23.7K

281.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,175 €5,395

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-60.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.9 €86.4

$58.6 ฿1,965

68.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 €45.64

$35.36 ฿1,187

47.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 €105

$115 ฿3,876

3.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 €139

$83.7 ฿2,811

89.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 €1,509

$626 ฿21.0K

176.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 €1,207

$445 ฿14.9K

210.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 €2,257

$2,040 ฿68.5K

26.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 €1,847

$1,492 ฿50.1K

41.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,923 €6,922

$3,483 ฿116.9K

127.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,009 €5,250

$2,577 ฿86.5K

133.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,143 €3,620

$500 ฿16.8K

728.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

5.33

-19.70%

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

Last update for Haarlem: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,727 in Haarlem versus $626 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 729% higher in Haarlem, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Haarlem versus $46.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $289 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Haarlem vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haarlem costs about 133% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,363 per month in Haarlem and $1,875 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Haarlem and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,909 in Haarlem and $1,250 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Haarlem at $2,909. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Haarlem it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,250 versus $2,909 in Haarlem. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Haarlem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.