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: $1,531 in Hvar versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Hvar versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,142 in Hvar versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Hvar is roughly 21% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hvar is 11% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.38 €11.53

$4.66 ฿154

187.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.6 €61.7

$32.22 ฿1,065

122.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 €7.91

$8.68 ฿287

5.76%

Cappuccino

$2.41 €2.07

$2.90 ฿95.8

-16.90%

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

$3.25 €2.80

$0.84 ฿27.89

286.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.03

$0.49 ฿16.16

379.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.07

$2.48 ฿82.0

43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 €3.64

$3.73 ฿123

13.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.89 ฿62.3

-33.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.41 ฿46.54

9.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 €2.63

$1.62 ฿53.6

88.27%

Eggs

$3.75 €3.23

$2.24 ฿74.1

67.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 €9.05

$19.84 ฿656

-47.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 €8.33

$3.48 ฿115

177.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 €10.16

$11.37 ฿376

3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.90 ฿95.8

-40.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.72 ฿57.0

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.27 ฿75.1

-12.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 €2.15

$2.13 ฿70.4

17.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.47 ฿48.72

-9.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.42 ฿46.92

-8.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.10 ฿36.25

14.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.09

$0.60 ฿19.76

110.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.61 €4.84

$4.31 ฿142

30.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 €5.98

$18.60 ฿615

-62.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.80 ฿59.5

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.97 ฿98.0

-31.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 €1.58

$2.25 ฿74.2

-18.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.26 €37.29

$23.49 ฿776

84.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 €2.67

$3.10 ฿102

-0.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.08 ฿35.56

2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.74 €7.53

$3.87 ฿128

125.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.43 ฿47.16

23.08%

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

$38.2K €32.9K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

37.41%

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

$26.0K €22.4K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-3.82%

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

$183 €158

$105 ฿3,462

74.99%

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

$22.47 €19.37

$11.39 ฿376

97.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.02 €27.60

$17.54 ฿580

82.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 €44.68

$54.3 ฿1,795

-4.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.53 €12.52

$11.44 ฿378

27.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.82 €7.61

$7.78 ฿257

13.37%

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

$240 €207

$576 ฿19.0K

-58.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,233 €7,097

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-28.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 €80.2

$63.6 ฿2,103

46.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.98 €33.60

$29.10 ฿961

33.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €88.2

$96.2 ฿3,179

6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 €90.0

$90.0 ฿2,974

16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$679 €586

$733 ฿24.2K

-7.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 €470

$501 ฿16.5K

8.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 €930

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-49.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 €708

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-34.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,025 €3,470

$3,534 ฿116.8K

13.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,320 €2,862

$2,622 ฿86.6K

26.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

5.57

-21.90%

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

Last update for Hvar: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $679 in Hvar and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $72.0 in Hvar vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $275, 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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,297 in Hvar and $1,898 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $679 in Hvar versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $72.0 in Hvar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,531 per month in Hvar versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,531 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Hvar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.