Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaunas and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,560 in Kaunas versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,258 in Kaunas versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,957 in Kaunas versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Kaunas is roughly 25% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaunas is 17% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.75 €10.26

$4.55 ฿153

158.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €56.0

$46.18 ฿1,550

38.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 €8.20

$8.84 ฿297

6.22%

Cappuccino

$3.60 €3.15

$3.06 ฿103

17.65%

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

$2.24 €1.96

$0.73 ฿24.36

206.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.40 ฿13.37

332.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.26 €4.59

$2.43 ฿81.6

116.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 €3.76

$3.78 ฿127

14.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.27

$2.26 ฿75.8

-35.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.81 ฿60.8

2.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 €2.03

$2.25 ฿75.7

3.11%

Eggs

$2.87 €2.51

$2.25 ฿75.4

27.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 €9.36

$19.51 ฿655

-45.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 €7.07

$3.65 ฿122

121.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 €10.33

$13.05 ฿438

-9.43%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 €1.00

$3.23 ฿109

-64.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.62 ฿54.3

-15.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.38 ฿80.0

-10.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 €3.00

$2.03 ฿68.0

68.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.53 ฿51.5

-30.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 €1.01

$1.50 ฿50.4

-22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.98 ฿32.85

73.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.90

$0.52 ฿17.36

98.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.90 €5.16

$4.44 ฿149

32.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.10 €8.82

$18.32 ฿615

-44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.86 ฿62.6

-8.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.88

$2.68 ฿90.0

-19.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 €0.81

$1.41 ฿47.37

-34.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.61 €28.49

$11.70 ฿393

178.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.87 €2.50

$3.11 ฿104

-7.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.04 ฿35.00

2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.45 €8.26

$14.11 ฿474

-33.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.31 ฿44.02

24.43%

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

$38.6K €33.8K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

38.88%

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

$32.3K €28.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-2.84%

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

$262 €229

$122 ฿4,110

113.88%

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

$16.26 €14.20

$13.59 ฿456

19.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.94 €14.80

$18.70 ฿628

-9.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.97 €35.80

$60.5 ฿2,031

-32.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.29 €20.35

$16.98 ฿570

37.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 €8.61

$9.07 ฿305

8.60%

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

$665 €581

$706 ฿23.7K

-5.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,596 €6,636

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-51.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.5 €74.7

$58.6 ฿1,965

45.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.87 €42.70

$35.36 ฿1,187

38.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €87.8

$115 ฿3,876

-12.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €100

$83.7 ฿2,811

37.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$743 €649

$626 ฿21.0K

18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$518 €453

$445 ฿14.9K

16.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 €1,048

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-41.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 €667

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-48.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,701 €3,233

$3,483 ฿116.9K

6.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,384 €2,083

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-7.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,706 €1,490

$500 ฿16.8K

241.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

5.33

-15.57%

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

Last update for Kaunas: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $743 in Kaunas and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaunas pays 241% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Kaunas vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $289, with Kaunas 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

Kaunas vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Kaunas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 241% higher in Kaunas, 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: $743 in Kaunas versus $626 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 $64.0 in Kaunas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,560 per month in Kaunas versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,560 in Kaunas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kaunas. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,250 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kaunas 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 25% less than in Kaunas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.