Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,038 in Hilversum versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,445 in Hilversum versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,852 in Hilversum versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 140% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hilversum is 127% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.65 €24.64

$4.70 ฿153

509.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.9 €78.2

$45.37 ฿1,482

100.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.48 €14.18

$8.43 ฿275

95.49%

Cappuccino

$4.46 €3.83

$2.93 ฿95.6

52.22%

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

$3.90 €3.35

$0.69 ฿22.40

465.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 €2.65

$0.37 ฿11.99

732.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 €5.04

$2.41 ฿78.6

143.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 €4.38

$3.72 ฿122

36.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$2.23 ฿72.9

-39.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 €1.89

$1.83 ฿59.8

20.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.25

$2.17 ฿70.8

74.19%

Eggs

$4.90 €4.22

$2.21 ฿72.3

121.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 €11.15

$19.74 ฿645

-34.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.37 €14.94

$3.63 ฿119

378.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.26 €14.84

$13.53 ฿442

27.57%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$3.28 ฿107

-42.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.19

$1.61 ฿52.6

58.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.41 ฿78.6

-22.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 €3.24

$2.08 ฿68.1

81.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.53 ฿49.93

37.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.48 ฿48.36

51.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.01

$0.99 ฿32.29

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$0.51 ฿16.67

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.37 €10.64

$4.41 ฿144

180.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.03

$19.38 ฿633

-63.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.78 ฿58.1

-12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.44

$2.71 ฿88.6

4.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.69 €4.03

$1.37 ฿44.79

242.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.7 €82.4

$11.39 ฿372

740.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.67 €4.88

$3.02 ฿98.6

87.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.99 ฿32.48

106.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 €25.36

$14.10 ฿461

109.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.36 ฿44.51

69.12%

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

$40.9K €35.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

44.95%

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

$40.5K €34.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

23.11%

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

$265 €228

$122 ฿3,975

117.47%

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

$30.38 €26.13

$13.57 ฿443

123.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 €50.2

$18.31 ฿598

218.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 €60.6

$60.2 ฿1,967

16.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.69 €35.86

$17.14 ฿560

143.23%

Cinema Ticket

$17.20 €14.79

$8.69 ฿284

97.93%

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

$663 €570

$693 ฿22.6K

-4.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,633 €6,566

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-51.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 €109

$59.5 ฿1,944

112.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 €52.2

$34.77 ฿1,136

74.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 €113

$115 ฿3,743

14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 €158

$83.3 ฿2,720

121.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 €1,490

$613 ฿20.0K

182.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,532 €1,318

$437 ฿14.3K

250.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,027 €2,604

$2,094 ฿68.4K

44.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,394 €2,060

$1,509 ฿49.3K

58.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,097 €6,105

$3,749 ฿122.5K

89.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,465 €4,701

$2,616 ฿85.4K

108.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,837 €3,301

$508 ฿16.6K

655.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

5.33

-15.57%

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

Last update for Hilversum: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Hilversum and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilversum pays 655% 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: $91.0 in Hilversum vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 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

Hilversum vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilversum and Phuket differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($3,038 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Hilversum pays 655% 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: $1,732 in Hilversum versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 741% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $663 in Hilversum versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $3,038 in Hilversum, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hilversum. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hilversum 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 140% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.