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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,066 per month in Mortsel vs $1,261 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,141 per month in Mortsel vs $2,286 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,215 per month in Mortsel vs $3,310 in Phuket, rent included.

Mortsel costs about 64% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Mortsel sits 54% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.08 €20.01

$4.56 ฿150

406.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 €99.9

$46.63 ฿1,535

147.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.61 €10.93

$8.47 ฿279

48.88%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.56

$3.03 ฿99.7

35.31%

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

$3.48 €3.02

$0.69 ฿22.69

404.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.76

$0.37 ฿12.04

759.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.72

$2.49 ฿81.9

118.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.07

$3.66 ฿120

28.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.17

$2.18 ฿71.8

-38.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 €2.37

$1.90 ฿62.6

44.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 €2.04

$2.20 ฿72.4

7.27%

Eggs

$4.11 €3.57

$2.22 ฿73.2

85.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.40 €15.08

$19.99 ฿658

-12.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.87 €10.29

$3.66 ฿121

224.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.97 €19.04

$13.25 ฿436

65.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.51

$3.23 ฿106

-10.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.09

$1.70 ฿55.9

42.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.39 ฿78.8

-1.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 €2.66

$2.08 ฿68.4

47.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.59 ฿52.4

16.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.48 ฿48.83

43.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.03 ฿33.90

27.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.52 ฿17.01

57.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.50 €10.83

$4.25 ฿140

194.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.14 €7.93

$18.79 ฿618

-51.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.76 ฿57.8

8.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.99

$2.76 ฿90.8

-17.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 €2.28

$1.36 ฿44.79

93.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.8 €48.35

$11.36 ฿374

391.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 €5.00

$3.14 ฿103

83.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 €2.18

$1.04 ฿34.10

142.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.40 €40.22

$13.77 ฿453

236.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.34 ฿44.26

42.54%

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

$34.0K €29.4K

$27.7K ฿911.1K

22.67%

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

$33.6K €29.1K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-0.83%

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

$227 €197

$124 ฿4,069

83.74%

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

$23.50 €20.37

$13.52 ฿445

73.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 €44.37

$18.69 ฿615

173.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.12 €33.90

$61.8 ฿2,035

-36.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.78 €14.55

$17.25 ฿568

-2.72%

Cinema Ticket

$15.00 €13.00

$9.14 ฿301

64.11%

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

$581 €504

$703 ฿23.1K

-17.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K €11.8K

$15.9K ฿522.5K

-14.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 €96.7

$59.5 ฿1,958

87.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.37 €42.79

$35.07 ฿1,154

40.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.5

$115 ฿3,795

-7.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 €143

$84.1 ฿2,767

96.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 €789

$619 ฿20.4K

47.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 €655

$433 ฿14.2K

74.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 €1,158

$2,062 ฿67.9K

-35.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 €970

$1,511 ฿49.7K

-25.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,446 €3,854

$3,646 ฿120.0K

21.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,308 €2,867

$2,626 ฿86.4K

26.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,442 €2,117

$507 ฿16.7K

381.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.33

-34.33%

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

Last update for Mortsel: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $911 in Mortsel versus $619 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 382% 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 $115 in Mortsel versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $355 vs $293 – 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 64%, 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 $3,100 per month in Mortsel and $1,892 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 21% 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 $115 in Mortsel and $47.00 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 $1,261, than in Mortsel at $2,066. 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.