Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Heraklion and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,575 in Heraklion versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,474 in Heraklion versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Heraklion versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Heraklion is roughly 25% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Heraklion is 18% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.13 €12.16

$4.70 ฿153

200.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 €50.2

$45.37 ฿1,482

28.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 €9.94

$8.43 ฿275

37.13%

Cappuccino

$3.89 €3.35

$2.93 ฿95.6

32.76%

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

$2.18 €1.87

$0.69 ฿22.40

215.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.52

$0.37 ฿11.99

62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 €5.13

$2.41 ฿78.6

147.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 €4.96

$3.72 ฿122

54.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.23 ฿72.9

-17.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.83 ฿59.8

-18.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.17 ฿70.8

24.42%

Eggs

$5.56 €4.79

$2.21 ฿72.3

151.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.98 €14.61

$19.74 ฿645

-13.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.37 €9.78

$3.63 ฿119

213.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.65 €12.60

$13.53 ฿442

8.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.93

$3.28 ฿107

-31.40%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.61 ฿52.6

32.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 €1.24

$2.41 ฿78.6

-39.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.08 ฿68.1

-11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.53 ฿49.93

-15.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 €1.31

$1.48 ฿48.36

3.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 €0.75

$0.99 ฿32.29

-12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.57

$0.51 ฿16.67

29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 €4.55

$4.41 ฿144

19.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €6.92

$19.38 ฿633

-58.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.78 ฿58.1

17.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.71 ฿88.6

25.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.37 ฿44.79

16.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.27 €39.80

$11.39 ฿372

306.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.90

$3.02 ฿98.6

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.60 €9.98

$14.10 ฿461

-17.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.36 ฿44.51

58.82%

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

$35.0K €30.1K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

24.27%

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

$25.8K €22.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.68%

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

$216 €186

$122 ฿3,975

77.38%

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

$22.89 €19.69

$13.57 ฿443

68.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.02 €31.85

$18.31 ฿598

102.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 €45.32

$60.2 ฿1,967

-12.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.87 €34.30

$17.14 ฿560

132.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.36 €8.05

$8.69 ฿284

7.71%

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

$431 €371

$693 ฿22.6K

-37.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,159 €3,578

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-73.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 €86.3

$59.5 ฿1,944

68.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.48 €39.98

$34.77 ฿1,136

33.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 €77.1

$115 ฿3,743

-21.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €114

$83.3 ฿2,720

59.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 €477

$613 ฿20.0K

-9.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 €364

$437 ฿14.3K

-3.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 €898

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-50.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 €752

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-42.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,014 €3,452

$3,749 ฿122.5K

7.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,848 €2,450

$2,616 ฿85.4K

8.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,156 €994

$508 ฿16.6K

127.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

5.33

-16.70%

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

Last update for Heraklion: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Heraklion and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heraklion pays 128% 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: $58.0 in Heraklion vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 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

Heraklion vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Heraklion pays 128% 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: $555 in Heraklion versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $431 in Heraklion versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Heraklion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,575 in Heraklion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Heraklion. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Heraklion, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Heraklion 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 25% less than in Heraklion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.