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: $2,986 in Hilversum versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,351 in Hilversum versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,716 in Hilversum versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 136% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hilversum is 117% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.56 €25.48

$4.66 ฿154

534.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 €69.8

$32.22 ฿1,065

151.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.78 €15.33

$8.68 ฿287

104.84%

Cappuccino

$4.62 €3.98

$2.90 ฿95.8

59.31%

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

$4.16 €3.59

$0.84 ฿27.89

395.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 €2.63

$0.49 ฿16.16

522.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.71 €4.92

$2.48 ฿82.0

130.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 €5.14

$3.73 ฿123

59.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.89 ฿62.3

-30.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.01

$1.41 ฿46.54

65.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 €3.19

$1.62 ฿53.6

128.40%

Eggs

$5.21 €4.49

$2.24 ฿74.1

132.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.10 €11.29

$19.84 ฿656

-33.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.05 €14.69

$3.48 ฿115

389.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 €15.11

$11.37 ฿376

54.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.90 ฿95.8

-28.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 €2.25

$1.72 ฿57.0

51.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.27 ฿75.1

-17.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 €2.84

$2.13 ฿70.4

54.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.47 ฿48.72

44.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.42 ฿46.92

52.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.10 ฿36.25

13.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.03

$0.60 ฿19.76

98.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.96 €11.17

$4.31 ฿142

200.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.84 €5.90

$18.60 ฿615

-63.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.80 ฿59.5

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.97 ฿98.0

-5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.65 €3.15

$2.25 ฿74.2

62.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.7 €60.1

$23.49 ฿776

196.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 €5.07

$3.10 ฿102

89.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.59 €3.10

$1.08 ฿35.56

232.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.20 €20.00

$3.87 ฿128

499.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 €2.02

$1.43 ฿47.16

63.64%

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

$42.1K €36.3K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

51.68%

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

$43.9K €37.9K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

62.77%

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

$281 €242

$105 ฿3,462

167.91%

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

$30.47 €26.26

$11.39 ฿376

167.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 €57.0

$17.54 ฿580

276.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.9 €59.4

$54.3 ฿1,795

26.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.32 €30.45

$11.44 ฿378

208.74%

Cinema Ticket

$17.17 €14.80

$7.78 ฿257

120.69%

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

$730 €629

$576 ฿19.0K

26.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

42.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €100

$63.6 ฿2,103

82.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 €43.51

$29.10 ฿961

73.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 €81.1

$96.2 ฿3,179

-2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €126

$90.0 ฿2,974

62.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 €1,532

$733 ฿24.2K

142.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,513 €1,304

$501 ฿16.5K

202.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,995 €2,582

$2,126 ฿70.2K

40.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,449 €2,111

$1,252 ฿41.4K

95.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,110 €6,129

$3,534 ฿116.8K

101.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,422 €4,673

$2,622 ฿86.6K

106.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,156 €3,582

$508 ฿16.8K

718.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

5.57

-22.80%

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

Last update for Hilversum: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,777 in Hilversum and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilversum pays 719% 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: $81.0 in Hilversum vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $275 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 136% in total monthly costs ($2,986 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 719% higher in Hilversum, 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: $1,777 in Hilversum versus $733 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 197% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $730 in Hilversum versus $576 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 $2,986 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 136% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.