Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matera and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,484 in Matera, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

71

Cost of Living Index in Matera
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Matera Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Matera

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,484

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matera 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 Matera and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,484 per month in Matera vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Matera $1,484
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,356 per month in Matera vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Matera $2,356
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $3,227 per month in Matera vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Matera $3,227
Phuket $3,154

Matera costs about 16% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Matera sits 9% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 €13.70

$4.47 ฿151

242.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 €54.3

$32.41 ฿1,093

87.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.34 €10.16

$8.81 ฿297

28.72%

Cappuccino

$1.88 €1.68

$2.83 ฿95.4

-33.57%

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

$2.27 €2.03

$0.87 ฿29.41

160.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$0.49 ฿16.65

122.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.14

$2.56 ฿86.3

124.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$3.68 ฿124

-10.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 €1.41

$1.66 ฿55.9

-4.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.46 ฿49.31

17.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.94

$1.50 ฿50.5

118.67%

Eggs

$3.52 €3.15

$2.09 ฿70.5

68.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.39 €13.79

$19.07 ฿643

-19.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 €11.00

$3.30 ฿111

272.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.84 €18.67

$10.91 ฿368

91.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.36

$2.93 ฿98.9

-10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.94

$1.69 ฿57.0

27.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 €1.01

$2.25 ฿75.8

-49.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.41

$2.08 ฿70.0

82.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.51 ฿51.0

17.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.38 ฿46.52

18.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.07 ฿35.96

36.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 €0.42

$0.52 ฿17.51

-9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 €6.05

$4.20 ฿142

60.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.34 €5.68

$18.79 ฿634

-66.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.65

$1.82 ฿61.5

1.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 €2.79

$2.84 ฿95.8

9.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.54

$1.45 ฿48.98

18.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.20 €18.09

$56.7 ฿1,912

-64.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.96

$3.02 ฿102

46.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 €1.07

$1.02 ฿34.33

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.74 €21.26

$3.69 ฿125

543.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.47 ฿49.76

37.41%

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

$35.1K €31.5K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

31.16%

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

$37.3K €33.4K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

39.93%

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

$197 €177

$96.4 ฿3,251

104.95%

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

$9.37 €8.39

$11.26 ฿380

-16.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 €27.53

$16.85 ฿568

82.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 €49.56

$67.2 ฿2,268

-17.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.43 €20.98

$10.73 ฿362

118.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 €8.90

$7.50 ฿253

32.53%

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

$448 €401

$476 ฿16.1K

-5.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 €7,092

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-29.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.2 €60.2

$62.4 ฿2,104

7.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.87 €38.39

$28.41 ฿958

50.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.3

$94.3 ฿3,181

11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €121

$85.8 ฿2,895

57.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 €632

$716 ฿24.2K

-1.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 €377

$491 ฿16.6K

-14.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 €918

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-46.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$841 €753

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-41.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,772 €2,483

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-33.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,179 €2,847

$3,045 ฿102.7K

4.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,750 €1,568

$502 ฿16.9K

248.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.08

5.57

-44.70%

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

Last update for Matera: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Matera

$421 28.3%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 16.7% $70

Groceries & Markets

Matera

$328 22.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 18.9% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matera

$238 16%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 47.6% $113

Eating Out

Matera

$228 15.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 46.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Matera

$158 10.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 22.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Matera

$75 5.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 9.3% $7

Getting Around

Matera

$37 2.5%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 88.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Matera versus $716 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 in Matera are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Matera versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Matera

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

06:09 6:09 AM

6 h ahead of Matera

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,607

79,308

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Matera Phuket 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Matera
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

Matera vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Matera costs about 16% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,227 per month in Matera and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $705 in Matera and $716 in Phuket. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Matera. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $448 per month in Matera and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,484 in Matera. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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