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: $1,550 in Heraklion versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,446 in Heraklion versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,343 in Heraklion versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Heraklion is roughly 24% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Heraklion is 16% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.63 €11.92

$4.55 ฿153

199.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 €50.8

$46.18 ฿1,554

25.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.74 €10.27

$8.84 ฿298

32.81%

Cappuccino

$3.85 €3.37

$3.06 ฿103

25.82%

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

$2.22 €1.94

$0.73 ฿24.42

204.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.50

$0.40 ฿13.40

42.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 €5.10

$2.43 ฿81.8

139.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 €5.20

$3.78 ฿127

57.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.67

$2.26 ฿76.0

-15.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.81 ฿60.9

-19.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 €2.41

$2.25 ฿75.8

22.67%

Eggs

$5.57 €4.87

$2.25 ฿75.6

147.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.85 €14.74

$19.51 ฿656

-13.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 €9.90

$3.65 ฿123

210.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.85 €12.99

$13.05 ฿439

13.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €2.00

$3.23 ฿109

-29.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.83

$1.62 ฿54.4

29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.38 ฿80.2

-37.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.58

$2.03 ฿68.2

-10.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.53 ฿51.6

-16.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.50 ฿50.5

5.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 €0.77

$0.98 ฿32.93

-10.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.62

$0.52 ฿17.40

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.41 €4.73

$4.44 ฿149

21.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.36 €6.44

$18.32 ฿616

-59.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.86 ฿62.7

14.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.97

$2.68 ฿90.2

26.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.44

$1.41 ฿47.49

16.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.23 €40.45

$11.70 ฿394

295.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.11 ฿105

50.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.74 €10.27

$14.11 ฿475

-16.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.31 ฿44.13

58.78%

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

$34.3K €30.0K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

23.43%

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

$26.5K €23.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-20.20%

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

$218 €191

$122 ฿4,120

78.02%

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

$23.34 €20.42

$13.59 ฿457

71.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.62 €32.03

$18.70 ฿629

95.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 €44.79

$60.5 ฿2,035

-15.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.52 €35.45

$16.98 ฿572

138.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.28 €8.12

$9.07 ฿305

2.32%

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

$423 €370

$706 ฿23.8K

-40.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,108 €3,594

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-74.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.6 €86.3

$58.6 ฿1,970

68.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.06 €40.29

$35.36 ฿1,190

30.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 €77.1

$115 ฿3,885

-23.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €118

$83.7 ฿2,818

61.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 €482

$626 ฿21.1K

-11.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 €367

$445 ฿15.0K

-5.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 €919

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-48.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$886 €775

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-40.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,913 €3,424

$3,483 ฿117.2K

12.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,793 €2,444

$2,577 ฿86.7K

8.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,123 €983

$500 ฿16.8K

124.70%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $551 in Heraklion and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heraklion pays 125% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $289 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 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 125% higher in Heraklion, 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: $551 in Heraklion versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $423 in Heraklion versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Heraklion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,550 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 24% less than in Heraklion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.