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: $2,031 in Ljubljana versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Ljubljana versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,012 in Ljubljana versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Ljubljana is roughly 60% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ljubljana is 52% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.11 €14.73

$4.70 ฿153

264.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 €58.9

$45.37 ฿1,482

50.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.34 €8.04

$8.43 ฿275

10.79%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.19

$2.93 ฿95.6

-12.97%

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

$3.16 €2.72

$0.69 ฿22.40

357.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.72

$0.37 ฿11.99

437.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.74 €3.22

$2.41 ฿78.6

55.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.94

$3.72 ฿122

23.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$2.23 ฿72.9

-33.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.83 ฿59.8

13.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 €2.40

$2.17 ฿70.8

28.57%

Eggs

$3.94 €3.39

$2.21 ฿72.3

78.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 €11.31

$19.74 ฿645

-33.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 €9.39

$3.63 ฿119

200.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.90 €11.11

$13.53 ฿442

-4.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$3.28 ฿107

-39.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.61 ฿52.6

6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.83

$2.41 ฿78.6

-11.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$2.08 ฿68.1

63.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.53 ฿49.93

-11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.48 ฿48.36

10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 €1.42

$0.99 ฿32.29

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.81

$0.51 ฿16.67

84.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 €5.04

$4.41 ฿144

32.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 €7.10

$19.38 ฿633

-57.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.78 ฿58.1

-20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.71 ฿88.6

-25.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.37 ฿44.79

6.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.46 €37.41

$11.39 ฿372

281.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 €1.96

$3.02 ฿98.6

-24.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.96

$0.99 ฿32.48

13.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.97 €17.19

$14.10 ฿461

41.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.36 ฿44.51

25.00%

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

$28.5K €24.5K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

0.98%

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

$28.1K €24.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-14.66%

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

$283 €244

$122 ฿3,975

132.93%

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

$18.81 €16.19

$13.57 ฿443

38.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.61 €32.38

$18.31 ฿598

105.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 €43.82

$60.2 ฿1,967

-15.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.03 €15.53

$17.14 ฿560

5.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.92

$8.69 ฿284

5.87%

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

$550 €474

$693 ฿22.6K

-20.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.3K €12.3K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-8.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$59.5 ฿1,944

71.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.49 €40.02

$34.77 ฿1,136

33.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.7

$115 ฿3,743

-9.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €117

$83.3 ฿2,720

63.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 €866

$613 ฿20.0K

64.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 €706

$437 ฿14.3K

87.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,046 €1,762

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-2.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 €1,268

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-2.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,622 €5,700

$3,749 ฿122.5K

76.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,097 €4,388

$2,616 ฿85.4K

94.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,980 €1,705

$508 ฿16.6K

289.67%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ljubljana and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ljubljana pays 290% 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: $68.0 in Ljubljana vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $293 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ljubljana pays 290% 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: $1,006 in Ljubljana versus $613 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 282% less than in Ljubljana. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $550 in Ljubljana versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,031 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 60% less than in Ljubljana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.