Cost of Living Comparison Between Makarska and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Makarska and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,580 in Makarska versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,408 in Makarska versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,236 in Makarska versus $3,329 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Makarska is 18% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.07 €13.82

$4.70 ฿153

241.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 €69.4

$45.37 ฿1,482

77.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.25 €7.10

$8.43 ฿275

-2.14%

Cappuccino

$3.55 €3.06

$2.93 ฿95.6

21.16%

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

$3.71 €3.19

$0.69 ฿22.40

437.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 €2.22

$0.37 ฿11.99

597.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.41 ฿78.6

90.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 €3.30

$3.72 ฿122

2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.02

$2.23 ฿72.9

-46.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.83 ฿59.8

-22.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.17 ฿70.8

37.79%

Eggs

$5.20 €4.47

$2.21 ฿72.3

135.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.90 €15.40

$19.74 ฿645

-9.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 €9.94

$3.63 ฿119

218.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.63 €10.00

$13.53 ฿442

-14.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$3.28 ฿107

-49.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.61 ฿52.6

-3.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.41 ฿78.6

-13.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.19

$2.08 ฿68.1

22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.53 ฿49.93

-3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.48 ฿48.36

-0.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 €0.76

$0.99 ฿32.29

-10.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.03

$0.51 ฿16.67

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.09 €4.38

$4.41 ฿144

15.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 €6.58

$19.38 ฿633

-60.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.16

$1.78 ฿58.1

-24.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.22

$2.71 ฿88.6

-47.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.37 ฿44.79

25.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.95 €36.95

$11.39 ฿372

277.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 €2.58

$3.02 ฿98.6

-0.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 €0.99

$0.99 ฿32.48

16.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.12 €7.84

$14.10 ฿461

-35.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.36 ฿44.51

28.68%

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

$37.5K €32.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

32.91%

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

$25.8K €22.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.54%

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

$188 €162

$122 ฿3,975

54.42%

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

$22.89 €19.69

$13.57 ฿443

68.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.85 €25.67

$18.31 ฿598

63.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 €45.69

$60.2 ฿1,967

-11.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.02 €12.92

$17.14 ฿560

-12.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.50 €7.31

$8.69 ฿284

-2.19%

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

$244 €210

$693 ฿22.6K

-64.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,373 €1,181

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-91.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$59.5 ฿1,944

75.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.57 €39.20

$34.77 ฿1,136

31.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 €118

$115 ฿3,743

20.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 €88.8

$83.3 ฿2,720

23.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 €567

$613 ฿20.0K

7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 €400

$437 ฿14.3K

6.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,040 €895

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-50.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 €654

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-49.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,587 €3,945

$3,749 ฿122.5K

22.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,819 €2,425

$2,616 ฿85.4K

7.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.7

5.33

-11.82%

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

Last update for Makarska: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Makarska and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Makarska 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

Makarska 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 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,370 in Makarska and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $660 in Makarska versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $244 in Makarska versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Makarska. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,580 in Makarska, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Makarska. 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 Makarska, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Makarska 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 Makarska. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.