Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kotor and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,543 in Kotor, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kotor
🇲🇪 Montenegro
$1,543
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kotor and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kotor and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,543 in Kotor versus $1,208 in Phuket.

  • Kotor $1,543
  • Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,446 in Kotor versus $2,027 in Phuket.

  • Kotor $2,446
  • Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,350 in Kotor versus $2,845 in Phuket.

  • Kotor $3,350
  • Phuket $2,845

Living in Kotor is roughly 28% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kotor is 14% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kotor
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.27 €10.03
$4.40 ฿147
156.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.7 €53.1
$32.26 ฿1,078
84.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.34 €10.08
$8.76 ฿293
29.45%
Cappuccino
$3.22 €2.86
$2.83 ฿94.5
13.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 €2.22
$0.90 ฿30.14
177.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 €1.30
$0.47 ฿15.56
212.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.02 €2.69
$2.55 ฿85.2
18.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 €3.70
$3.83 ฿128
8.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kotor
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 €1.18
$1.73 ฿57.7
-23.12%
White Bread (500g)
$0.93 €0.83
$1.47 ฿49.11
-36.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.51 ฿50.6
31.13%
Eggs
$3.57 €3.18
$2.17 ฿72.7
64.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.78 €7.81
$19.70 ฿658
-55.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.49 €7.55
$3.34 ฿112
154.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 €11.18
$11.16 ฿373
12.63%
Apples (1kg)
$1.27 €1.13
$2.85 ฿95.1
-55.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 €1.49
$1.70 ฿56.9
-1.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.55 €1.38
$2.19 ฿73.3
-29.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.42 €2.15
$2.05 ฿68.4
18.05%
Potato (1kg)
$0.88 €0.79
$1.45 ฿48.57
-39.31%
Onion (1kg)
$1.07 €0.95
$1.38 ฿46.16
-22.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.07 ฿35.69
34.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.86 €0.76
$0.51 ฿16.91
68.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.41 €3.92
$4.26 ฿142
3.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.95 €7.07
$18.58 ฿621
-57.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 €1.01
$1.78 ฿59.7
-36.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.85 ฿95.2
-38.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Kotor
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.66 €1.48
$2.26 ฿75.6
-26.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.59 €39.67
$22.10 ฿738
101.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.79 €0.70
$3.01 ฿101
-73.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.06 ฿35.34
2.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.32 €10.07
$3.86 ฿129
193.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.70 €1.52
$1.45 ฿48.45
17.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K €24.5K
$26.3K ฿879.9K
4.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K €21.2K
$26.9K ฿900.4K
-11.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kotor
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$128 €113
$96.4 ฿3,221
32.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.30 €15.39
$11.04 ฿369
56.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.15 €28.60
$17.14 ฿573
87.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kotor
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.75 €40.69
$52.2 ฿1,744
-12.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.82 €17.63
$11.16 ฿373
77.60%
Cinema Ticket
$6.30 €5.60
$7.81 ฿261
-19.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kotor
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$335 €298
$556 ฿18.6K
-39.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,192 €6,398
$11.6K ฿387.0K
-37.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kotor
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.9 €79.0
$64.2 ฿2,146
38.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.84 €39.88
$28.69 ฿959
56.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 €85.4
$95.4 ฿3,187
0.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 €95.0
$88.0 ฿2,940
21.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kotor
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$683 €607
$737 ฿24.6K
-7.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 €591
$462 ฿15.5K
43.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,343 €1,195
$2,095 ฿70.0K
-35.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,322 €1,176
$1,201 ฿40.1K
10.12%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,875 €3,447
$3,488 ฿116.6K
11.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,840 €2,526
$2,523 ฿84.3K
12.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kotor
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$950 €845
$501 ฿16.7K
89.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.95
5.57
6.82%

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

Last update for Kotor: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kotor
$665
Phuket
$462 30.5% $202
Groceries & Markets
Kotor
$232
Phuket
$269 15.9% $37
Eating Out
Kotor
$202
Phuket
$121 40% $81
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kotor
$177
Phuket
$125 29.6% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Kotor
$151
Phuket
$124 17.9% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Kotor
$58
Phuket
$68 16.2% $9.5
Getting Around
Kotor
$57
Phuket
$39 31.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $683 in Kotor and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kotor pays 90% 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: $60.0 in Kotor vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $269, with Kotor cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇪 Kotor
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
14:14 2:14 PM
19:14 7:14 PM
5 h ahead of Kotor
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
13,000
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kotor Phuket 8,570 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kotor
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Kotor vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Kotor?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Kotor or Phuket?
Average pay runs 90% higher in Kotor, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Kotor and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $683 in Kotor versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $335 in Kotor versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Kotor and in Phuket?
Shoppers in Kotor pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Kotor or in Phuket?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,543 in Kotor, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kotor. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Kotor or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Kotor, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Kotor or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Kotor 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Kotor. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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