Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlovac and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Karlovac and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,254 in Karlovac versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,865 in Karlovac versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,476 in Karlovac versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Monthly costs are close between Karlovac and Phuket; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karlovac 6% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.65 €11.07

$4.55 ฿153

178.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.88 €41.02

$46.18 ฿1,554

1.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 €7.11

$8.84 ฿298

-8.03%

Cappuccino

$1.99 €1.74

$3.06 ฿103

-34.97%

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

$2.44 €2.14

$0.73 ฿24.42

234.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.40 ฿13.40

245.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.43 ฿81.8

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.98

$3.78 ฿127

-40.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.26 ฿76.0

-49.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.81 ฿60.9

-35.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$2.25 ฿75.8

-17.33%

Eggs

$3.57 €3.13

$2.25 ฿75.6

58.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 €8.50

$19.51 ฿656

-50.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.80 €10.32

$3.65 ฿123

223.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.05 €12.30

$13.05 ฿439

7.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 €1.56

$3.23 ฿109

-44.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.80

$1.62 ฿54.4

26.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.38 ฿80.2

-26.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.03 ฿68.2

-0.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.53 ฿51.6

7.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 €0.89

$1.50 ฿50.5

-32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.50

$0.98 ฿32.93

75.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.93

$0.52 ฿17.40

103.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.62 €4.91

$4.44 ฿149

26.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.03 €6.15

$18.32 ฿616

-61.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.86 ฿62.7

-8.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.33

$2.68 ฿90.2

-0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.41 ฿47.49

25.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.29 €37.00

$11.70 ฿394

261.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 €2.66

$3.11 ฿105

-2.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 €1.16

$1.04 ฿35.08

26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.72 €7.63

$14.11 ฿475

-38.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.31 ฿44.13

34.35%

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

$36.6K €32.0K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

31.60%

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

$26.3K €23.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-20.96%

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

$187 €164

$122 ฿4,120

53.08%

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

$23.15 €20.25

$13.59 ฿457

70.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.87 €28.76

$18.70 ฿629

75.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.33 €30.04

$60.5 ฿2,035

-43.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.93 €13.06

$16.98 ฿572

-12.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 €5.62

$9.07 ฿305

-29.22%

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

$238 €208

$706 ฿23.8K

-66.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,385 €1,212

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-91.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.9

$58.6 ฿1,970

77.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.79 €30.44

$35.36 ฿1,190

-1.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 €60.7

$115 ฿3,885

-39.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.9 €65.5

$83.7 ฿2,818

-10.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 €373

$626 ฿21.1K

-31.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 €293

$445 ฿15.0K

-24.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$639 €559

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-68.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$480 €420

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-67.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,897 €2,534

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-16.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,475 €2,166

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-3.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,387 €1,214

$500 ฿16.8K

177.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

5.33

-16.14%

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

Last update for Karlovac: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Karlovac and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlovac pays 178% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47.00 in Karlovac vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $289, with Karlovac 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

Karlovac vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 178% higher in Karlovac, 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: $426 in Karlovac versus $626 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 261% less than in Karlovac. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Karlovac pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,254 in Karlovac, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Karlovac. 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 Karlovac, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Karlovac 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Karlovac on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.