Cost of Living Comparison Between Mortsel and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Mortsel and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,201 per month in Mortsel vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,321 per month in Mortsel vs $2,089 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,441 per month in Mortsel vs $2,913 in Phuket, rent included.

Mortsel costs about 74% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mortsel sits 60% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.95 €19.78

$4.66 ฿154

392.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 €95.8

$32.22 ฿1,065

244.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.07 €12.13

$8.68 ฿287

62.10%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €3.87

$2.90 ฿95.8

55.17%

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

$3.53 €3.04

$0.84 ฿27.89

320.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$0.49 ฿16.16

516.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 €5.04

$2.48 ฿82.0

135.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.90

$3.73 ฿123

52.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.89 ฿62.3

-28.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.39

$1.41 ฿46.54

96.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.62 ฿53.6

37.65%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.73

$2.24 ฿74.1

92.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.90 €15.43

$19.84 ฿656

-9.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 €10.86

$3.48 ฿115

262.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.60 €21.20

$11.37 ฿376

116.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.42

$2.90 ฿95.8

-3.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.07

$1.72 ฿57.0

40.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.27 ฿75.1

14.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.13 ฿70.4

39.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 €1.89

$1.47 ฿48.72

49.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.42 ฿46.92

42.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.10 ฿36.25

29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.95

$0.60 ฿19.76

85.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.61 €11.74

$4.31 ฿142

215.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 €7.73

$18.60 ฿615

-51.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.80 ฿59.5

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.99

$2.97 ฿98.0

-22.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.26 €2.81

$2.25 ฿74.2

44.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.2 €48.48

$23.49 ฿776

139.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 €5.04

$3.10 ฿102

88.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.71 €2.34

$1.08 ฿35.56

150.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.59 €32.40

$3.87 ฿128

871.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.43 ฿47.16

48.25%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

30.28%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

27.78%

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

$233 €201

$105 ฿3,462

122.67%

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

$21.93 €18.90

$11.39 ฿376

92.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.96 €43.07

$17.54 ฿580

184.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.90 €31.81

$54.3 ฿1,795

-32.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.84

$11.44 ฿378

80.94%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 €13.65

$7.78 ฿257

103.47%

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

$573 €494

$576 ฿19.0K

-0.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K €18.8K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

88.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 €98.5

$63.6 ฿2,103

79.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.01 €42.25

$29.10 ฿961

68.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.3

$96.2 ฿3,179

11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €127

$90.0 ฿2,974

64.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 €823

$733 ฿24.2K

30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 €732

$501 ฿16.5K

69.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,249

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-31.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 €1,013

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-6.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,176 €3,600

$3,534 ฿116.8K

18.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,073 €2,649

$2,622 ฿86.6K

17.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,395 €2,064

$508 ฿16.8K

371.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.57

-37.88%

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

Last update for Mortsel: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Mortsel versus $733 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 372% higher in Mortsel, 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 $111 in Mortsel versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $275 – 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

Mortsel vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mortsel is pricier by about 74%, 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 $3,302 per month in Mortsel and $1,898 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.

Groceries cost about 36% more in Mortsel, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Mortsel and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,265, than in Mortsel at $2,201. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mortsel 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, Mortsel makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.