Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuressaare and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuressaare and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,523 per month in Kuressaare vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,262 per month in Kuressaare vs $2,054 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,002 per month in Kuressaare vs $2,876 in Phuket, rent included.

Kuressaare costs about 24% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Kuressaare sits 11% above the global median, while Phuket is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.04 €12.17

$4.41 ฿147

218.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.9

$32.26 ฿1,073

114.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.12 €7.91

$8.93 ฿297

2.13%

Cappuccino

$4.09 €3.54

$2.90 ฿96.3

41.03%

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

$3.38 €2.93

$0.88 ฿29.29

284.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.56

$0.48 ฿16.01

516.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 €5.90

$2.35 ฿78.2

189.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 €5.00

$3.72 ฿124

54.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.06

$1.87 ฿62.1

-34.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.47 ฿48.78

36.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.13

$1.55 ฿51.6

58.06%

Eggs

$3.03 €2.63

$2.10 ฿69.9

44.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 €11.23

$19.59 ฿652

-33.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 €7.64

$3.42 ฿114

157.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 €13.22

$11.38 ฿379

34.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 €1.64

$2.98 ฿99.3

-36.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.68 ฿56.1

-8.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.17

$2.21 ฿73.5

13.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 €2.64

$2.16 ฿71.9

41.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 €0.96

$1.52 ฿50.7

-26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.34 ฿44.52

-34.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 €1.63

$1.13 ฿37.55

66.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.08

$0.55 ฿18.18

127.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.90 €5.98

$4.26 ฿142

61.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.65 €9.23

$19.09 ฿635

-44.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.78 ฿59.2

8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.03

$2.78 ฿92.6

-15.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.96

$2.23 ฿74.2

1.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 €24.96

$22.74 ฿756

26.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 €3.28

$3.03 ฿101

24.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.02 ฿34.04

3.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.81 €24.10

$3.89 ฿129

614.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.49 ฿49.60

30.20%

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

$28.8K €24.9K

$26.6K ฿884.4K

8.23%

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

$32.0K €27.7K

$27.0K ฿899.3K

18.23%

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

$318 €276

$102 ฿3,409

210.64%

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

$11.51 €9.97

$11.33 ฿377

1.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.46 €31.60

$17.40 ฿579

109.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.08 €30.40

$52.1 ฿1,733

-32.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 €10.56

$7.69 ฿256

58.52%

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

$457 €396

$561 ฿18.7K

-18.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.5K

$11.5K ฿382.8K

5.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €97.3

$63.0 ฿2,097

78.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 €43.71

$29.52 ฿982

70.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €93.4

$98.0 ฿3,261

9.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €106

$88.5 ฿2,944

38.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 €445

$738 ฿24.6K

-30.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$345 €299

$482 ฿16.0K

-28.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 €603

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-66.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 €446

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-57.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,250 €3,683

$3,617 ฿120.3K

17.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 €2,157

$2,603 ฿86.6K

-4.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,306 €1,132

$494 ฿16.4K

164.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

5.57

-29.44%

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

Last update for Kuressaare: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $513 in Kuressaare versus $738 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 165% higher in Kuressaare, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Kuressaare versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $274 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Kuressaare vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Kuressaare is pricier by about 24%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,285 per month in Kuressaare and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,523 in Kuressaare and $1,232 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 27% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Kuressaare at $1,523. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kuressaare it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kuressaare makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.