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: $1,519 in Hvar versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,317 in Hvar versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Hvar versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Hvar is roughly 20% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hvar is 14% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.49 €11.85

$4.48 ฿150

201.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 €64.3

$45.59 ฿1,529

60.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 €7.92

$8.76 ฿294

2.97%

Cappuccino

$2.54 €2.23

$2.97 ฿99.5

-14.48%

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

$3.23 €2.84

$0.69 ฿23.02

368.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.07

$0.39 ฿13.11

505.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.62 €3.18

$2.53 ฿84.9

43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 €3.72

$3.75 ฿126

13.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.15 ฿71.9

-42.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.33

$1.82 ฿60.9

-17.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.71

$2.18 ฿73.3

41.28%

Eggs

$3.84 €3.37

$2.25 ฿75.4

70.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.85 €9.53

$20.00 ฿670

-45.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 €8.68

$3.63 ฿122

172.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 €10.27

$13.56 ฿455

-13.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 €1.44

$3.24 ฿109

-49.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.64 ฿54.8

4.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.74

$2.33 ฿78.2

-15.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.16

$2.07 ฿69.5

18.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 €1.18

$1.55 ฿51.9

-13.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 €1.12

$1.46 ฿48.79

-13.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.12

$0.98 ฿33.02

29.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.07

$0.48 ฿16.17

154.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 €4.96

$4.35 ฿146

29.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.83 €6.00

$18.57 ฿623

-63.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.26

$1.86 ฿62.2

-22.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.74

$2.65 ฿89.0

-24.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.42 ฿47.52

25.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.23 €37.96

$11.57 ฿388

273.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 €2.66

$3.17 ฿106

-4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.03 ฿34.59

1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.00 €7.90

$13.89 ฿466

-35.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.34 ฿45.07

32.84%

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

$38.2K €33.5K

$27.8K ฿931.8K

37.37%

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

$26.2K €23.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-21.55%

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

$187 €164

$123 ฿4,126

51.82%

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

$22.86 €20.07

$13.77 ฿462

66.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.74 €27.87

$18.33 ฿614

73.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 €44.89

$60.7 ฿2,035

-15.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.60 €12.82

$17.16 ฿575

-14.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 €7.79

$8.87 ฿297

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

$244 €215

$688 ฿23.1K

-64.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,018 €7,040

$15.8K ฿529.1K

-49.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 €81.7

$59.3 ฿1,988

56.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 €34.46

$34.69 ฿1,163

13.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.3

$115 ฿3,862

-9.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €92.3

$83.8 ฿2,808

25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 €611

$621 ฿20.8K

12.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 €466

$446 ฿15.0K

18.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,104 €969

$2,034 ฿68.2K

-45.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 €719

$1,496 ฿50.2K

-45.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,106 €3,605

$3,455 ฿115.8K

18.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,236 €2,841

$2,531 ฿84.9K

27.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.6K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $696 in Hvar and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Hvar vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $291, 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 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,279 in Hvar and $1,896 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: $696 in Hvar versus $621 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 $46.00 versus $73.0 in Hvar. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,519 per month in Hvar versus $1,264 in Phuket – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,519 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 20% less than in Hvar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.