Cost of Living Comparison Between Nijmegen and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Nijmegen and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,658 in Nijmegen versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,917 in Nijmegen versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,177 in Nijmegen versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Nijmegen is roughly 110% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nijmegen is 98% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 €21.79

$4.70 ฿154

438.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €88.2

$45.37 ฿1,483

125.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.70 €13.52

$8.43 ฿276

86.24%

Cappuccino

$4.51 €3.89

$2.93 ฿95.7

53.92%

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

$3.89 €3.35

$0.69 ฿22.42

463.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.40

$0.37 ฿12.00

654.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 €4.96

$2.41 ฿78.7

139.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 €5.54

$3.72 ฿122

72.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$2.23 ฿73.0

-43.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.83 ฿59.9

18.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 €2.82

$2.17 ฿70.9

51.15%

Eggs

$4.84 €4.17

$2.21 ฿72.4

119.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.43

$19.74 ฿645

-32.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.50 €14.21

$3.63 ฿119

354.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.35 €14.08

$13.53 ฿442

20.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 €2.10

$3.28 ฿107

-25.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$1.61 ฿52.7

62.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.41 ฿78.7

-21.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 €3.24

$2.08 ฿68.1

81.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.53 ฿49.97

33.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.48 ฿48.41

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 €1.05

$0.99 ฿32.32

23.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.51 ฿16.68

60.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 €12.10

$4.41 ฿144

218.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 €6.39

$19.38 ฿634

-61.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.78 ฿58.1

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.27

$2.71 ฿88.7

-2.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.37 ฿44.83

137.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$175 €151

$11.39 ฿372

1438.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 €6.66

$3.02 ฿98.7

156.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.34

$0.99 ฿32.51

174.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.70 €40.21

$14.10 ฿461

231.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.36 ฿44.55

69.85%

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

$34.7K €29.9K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

23.00%

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

$36.1K €31.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

9.82%

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

$278 €239

$122 ฿3,978

128.06%

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

$29.10 €25.06

$13.57 ฿444

114.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.08 €39.68

$18.31 ฿599

151.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.81 €34.28

$60.2 ฿1,969

-33.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.88 €5.07

$17.14 ฿560

-65.69%

Cinema Ticket

$16.57 €14.27

$8.69 ฿284

90.68%

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

$2,853 €2,457

$693 ฿22.7K

311.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K €14.9K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

10.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$59.5 ฿1,946

70.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.59 €40.98

$34.77 ฿1,137

36.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €98.3

$115 ฿3,746

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 €150

$83.3 ฿2,723

109.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 €1,222

$613 ฿20.0K

131.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,102 €949

$437 ฿14.3K

152.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,395 €2,063

$2,094 ฿68.5K

14.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,699 €1,463

$1,509 ฿49.3K

12.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,695 €5,765

$3,749 ฿122.6K

78.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,557 €3,924

$2,616 ฿85.5K

74.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,398 €2,926

$508 ฿16.6K

568.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

5.33

-14.07%

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

Last update for Nijmegen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,419 in Nijmegen and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nijmegen pays 569% 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: $102 in Nijmegen vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 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

Nijmegen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Nijmegen pays 569% 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: $1,419 in Nijmegen versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $102 in Nijmegen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,658 per month in Nijmegen versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,658 in Nijmegen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Nijmegen. 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 Nijmegen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Nijmegen 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 110% less than in Nijmegen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.