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: $1,234 in Karlovac versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,857 in Karlovac versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,480 in Karlovac versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Karlovac costs roughly 2% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karlovac 8% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.81 €11.02

$4.70 ฿153

172.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.57 €40.06

$45.37 ฿1,482

2.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.15 €7.01

$8.43 ฿275

-3.32%

Cappuccino

$1.94 €1.67

$2.93 ฿95.6

-33.79%

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

$2.40 €2.06

$0.69 ฿22.40

247.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.37 ฿11.99

267.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.41 ฿78.6

-4.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.00

$3.72 ฿122

-37.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.23 ฿72.9

-48.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.83 ฿59.8

-37.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.17 ฿70.8

-12.44%

Eggs

$3.48 €2.99

$2.21 ฿72.3

57.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 €8.68

$19.74 ฿645

-48.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.77 €10.13

$3.63 ฿119

224.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.07 €12.10

$13.53 ฿442

3.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 €1.51

$3.28 ฿107

-46.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.61 ฿52.6

27.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.41 ฿78.6

-28.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$2.08 ฿68.1

-0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.38

$1.53 ฿49.93

5.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.48 ฿48.36

-29.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.99 ฿32.29

80.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.87

$0.51 ฿16.67

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.37 €4.62

$4.41 ฿144

21.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €5.83

$19.38 ฿633

-65.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.71 ฿88.6

-2.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.37 ฿44.79

32.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.56 €37.47

$11.39 ฿372

282.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 €2.61

$3.02 ฿98.6

0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.99 ฿32.48

39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 €7.91

$14.10 ฿461

-34.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.36 ฿44.51

26.47%

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

$37.4K €32.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

32.57%

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

$25.6K €22.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-22.07%

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

$187 €161

$122 ฿3,975

53.50%

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

$22.91 €19.71

$13.57 ฿443

68.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.65 €28.09

$18.31 ฿598

78.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.64 €29.80

$60.2 ฿1,967

-42.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 €12.72

$17.14 ฿560

-13.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.41 €5.52

$8.69 ฿284

-26.24%

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

$243 €209

$693 ฿22.6K

-65.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,397 €1,202

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-91.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.3

$59.5 ฿1,944

78.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €29.74

$34.77 ฿1,136

-0.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 €60.6

$115 ฿3,743

-38.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 €66.0

$83.3 ฿2,720

-7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 €360

$613 ฿20.0K

-31.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 €287

$437 ฿14.3K

-23.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$647 €557

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-69.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 €408

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-68.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,965 €2,550

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-20.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,550 €2,193

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-2.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,440 €1,239

$508 ฿16.6K

183.39%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $419 in Karlovac and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlovac pays 183% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Karlovac vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $293, 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

Karlovac is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Karlovac pays 183% more on average, 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: $419 in Karlovac versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,234 per month in Karlovac versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karlovac runs roughly 282% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,234 in Karlovac versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Karlovac but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Karlovac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Karlovac is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, 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.

Expats usually find Karlovac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.