Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ljubljana and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,054 in Ljubljana versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,008 in Ljubljana versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Ljubljana versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 64% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ljubljana is 54% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €15.10

$4.55 ฿153

278.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.9

$46.18 ฿1,553

50.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 €8.28

$8.84 ฿297

6.90%

Cappuccino

$2.58 €2.26

$3.06 ฿103

-15.69%

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

$3.04 €2.66

$0.73 ฿24.40

316.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.73

$0.40 ฿13.39

395.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 €3.37

$2.43 ฿81.8

58.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.03

$3.78 ฿127

21.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 €1.30

$2.26 ฿76.0

-34.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 €1.90

$1.81 ฿60.9

19.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.52

$2.25 ฿75.8

28.00%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.39

$2.25 ฿75.5

72.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 €11.72

$19.51 ฿656

-31.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.70 €9.37

$3.65 ฿123

193.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.75 €11.17

$13.05 ฿439

-2.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$3.23 ฿109

-37.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$1.62 ฿54.4

8.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$2.38 ฿80.1

-9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 €3.10

$2.03 ฿68.1

74.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.53 ฿51.6

-10.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.42

$1.50 ฿50.5

8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.50

$0.98 ฿32.91

74.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.86

$0.52 ฿17.39

90.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.98 €5.23

$4.44 ฿149

34.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.39 €7.35

$18.32 ฿616

-54.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.27

$1.86 ฿62.7

-22.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.77

$2.68 ฿90.1

-24.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.41 ฿47.46

3.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.25 €37.01

$11.70 ฿393

261.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 €1.96

$3.11 ฿105

-27.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.04 ฿35.06

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.99 €17.51

$14.11 ฿474

41.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.31 ฿44.10

32.82%

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

$28.9K €25.3K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

3.73%

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

$28.9K €25.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-12.96%

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

$279 €244

$122 ฿4,118

127.53%

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

$18.60 €16.29

$13.59 ฿457

36.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.84 €33.14

$18.70 ฿629

102.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 €46.20

$60.5 ฿2,034

-12.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.04 €15.80

$16.98 ฿571

6.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.12 €7.99

$9.07 ฿305

0.55%

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

$541 €474

$706 ฿23.8K

-23.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K €12.4K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-10.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100.0 €87.5

$58.6 ฿1,969

70.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.21 €40.47

$35.36 ฿1,189

30.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.1

$115 ฿3,883

-9.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 €121

$83.7 ฿2,816

65.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €878

$626 ฿21.0K

60.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$851 €745

$445 ฿15.0K

91.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 €1,813

$2,040 ฿68.6K

1.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,286

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-1.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,373 €5,581

$3,483 ฿117.1K

82.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,903 €4,294

$2,577 ฿86.7K

90.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,018 €1,767

$500 ฿16.8K

303.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.84

5.33

-27.95%

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

Last update for Ljubljana: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,002 in Ljubljana and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 304% 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: $69.0 in Ljubljana vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $289 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Ljubljana vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 304% higher in Ljubljana, 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: $1,002 in Ljubljana 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 Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $541 in Ljubljana versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,054 in Ljubljana, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ljubljana. 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 Ljubljana, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ljubljana 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 64% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.