Cost of Living Comparison Between Hvar and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Hvar and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,552 in Hvar versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,306 in Hvar versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,061 in Hvar versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Hvar is roughly 26% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hvar is 16% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Hvar
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.46 ₮11.50
$4.63 āļŋ151
190.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.3 ₮62.6
$46.84 āļŋ1,523
56.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.02 ₮7.71
$8.84 āļŋ287
2.04%
Cappuccino
$2.50 ₮2.13
$3.00 āļŋ97.4
-16.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 ₮2.78
$0.74 āļŋ24.11
340.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 ₮1.94
$0.37 āļŋ11.88
513.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.57 ₮3.05
$2.44 āļŋ79.3
46.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.32 ₮3.69
$3.61 āļŋ117
19.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hvar
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 ₮1.06
$2.26 āļŋ73.5
-45.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 ₮1.32
$1.84 āļŋ59.8
-16.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.05 ₮2.61
$2.24 āļŋ73.0
36.16%
Eggs
$3.70 ₮3.16
$2.32 āļŋ75.3
59.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.81 ₮9.23
$19.67 āļŋ639
-45.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.49 ₮8.10
$3.65 āļŋ119
160.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.13 ₮10.36
$13.10 āļŋ426
-7.40%
Apples (1kg)
$1.70 ₮1.45
$3.39 āļŋ110
-49.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 ₮1.42
$1.64 āļŋ53.4
1.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.92 ₮1.64
$2.41 āļŋ78.5
-20.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.46 ₮2.10
$2.03 āļŋ66.0
21.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 ₮1.13
$1.56 āļŋ50.6
-14.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.32 ₮1.13
$1.50 āļŋ48.66
-12.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 ₮1.04
$1.02 āļŋ33.30
19.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 ₮1.08
$0.49 āļŋ15.91
159.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.62 ₮4.80
$4.45 āļŋ145
26.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.91 ₮5.90
$18.88 āļŋ614
-63.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 ₮1.28
$1.78 āļŋ57.7
-16.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 ₮1.76
$2.75 āļŋ89.5
-25.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Hvar
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.74 ₮1.48
$1.40 āļŋ45.54
24.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.66 ₮37.28
$11.48 āļŋ373
280.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ₮2.57
$3.12 āļŋ101
-3.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.11 ₮0.95
$1.00 āļŋ32.48
11.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.95 ₮7.64
$14.09 āļŋ458
-36.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.78 ₮1.52
$1.35 āļŋ43.93
31.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K ₮32.9K
$27.2K āļŋ883.7K
41.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K ₮22.0K
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
-21.63%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hvar
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$186 ₮159
$125 āļŋ4,063
48.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.42 ₮19.15
$13.57 āļŋ441
65.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.25 ₮26.69
$18.52 āļŋ602
68.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hvar
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.4 ₮43.86
$61.5 āļŋ1,999
-16.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.81 ₮12.65
$16.84 āļŋ547
-12.05%
Cinema Ticket
$9.12 ₮7.79
$9.19 āļŋ299
-0.76%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Hvar
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$240 ₮205
$698 āļŋ22.7K
-65.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,968 ₮6,805
$15.6K āļŋ506.9K
-48.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hvar
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.2 ₮77.9
$57.8 āļŋ1,878
57.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.26 ₮33.52
$35.24 āļŋ1,146
11.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 ₮87.9
$113 āļŋ3,677
-9.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 ₮89.6
$86.4 āļŋ2,808
21.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hvar
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$687 ₮587
$616 āļŋ20.0K
11.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$526 ₮449
$446 āļŋ14.5K
17.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,105 ₮943
$2,048 āļŋ66.6K
-46.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$849 ₮725
$1,492 āļŋ48.5K
-43.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,109 ₮3,509
$3,779 āļŋ122.8K
8.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,317 ₮2,833
$2,649 āļŋ86.1K
25.23%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Hvar
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$524 āļŋ17.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.35
5.33
-18.39%

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

Last update for Hvar: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $687 in Hvar and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73 in Hvar vs $47 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $292, with Hvar cheaper for home cooking.

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
Hvar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Hvar?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,328 in Hvar and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Hvar and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $687 in Hvar versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Hvar or Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $73.0 in Hvar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Hvar vs Phuket?
All in, you'll spend $1,552 per month in Hvar versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Hvar or Phuket?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,552 in Hvar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Hvar. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Hvar or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hvar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Hvar or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Hvar 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Hvar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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