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: $2,527 in Nijmegen versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,784 in Nijmegen versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,040 in Nijmegen versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Nijmegen is roughly 105% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nijmegen is 85% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.76 €22.45

$4.41 ฿147

484.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.9 €84.5

$32.26 ฿1,077

200.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 €12.01

$8.93 ฿298

54.31%

Cappuccino

$4.41 €3.85

$2.90 ฿96.6

52.07%

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

$3.92 €3.42

$0.88 ฿29.38

345.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.44

$0.48 ฿16.06

483.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 €4.93

$2.35 ฿78.5

140.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 €5.16

$3.72 ฿124

59.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.33

$1.87 ฿62.3

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.47 ฿48.94

40.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.55 ฿51.8

50.97%

Eggs

$5.45 €4.75

$2.10 ฿70.1

159.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 €11.64

$19.59 ฿654

-31.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.67 €12.78

$3.42 ฿114

328.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.31 €14.22

$11.38 ฿380

43.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 €2.49

$2.98 ฿99.6

-4.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.25

$1.68 ฿56.2

53.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.21 ฿73.7

-8.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 €4.75

$2.16 ฿72.1

152.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.86

$1.52 ฿50.9

40.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 €2.16

$1.34 ฿44.67

85.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.13 ฿37.67

15.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.55 ฿18.24

34.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.47 €12.61

$4.26 ฿142

239.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.32 €6.38

$19.09 ฿637

-61.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.78 ฿59.4

-16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 €2.30

$2.78 ฿92.9

-5.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 €3.08

$2.23 ฿74.4

58.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$146 €127

$22.74 ฿759

542.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 €3.53

$3.03 ฿101

33.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.17 €2.77

$1.02 ฿34.15

210.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.09 €40.18

$3.89 ฿130

1084.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.40 €2.09

$1.49 ฿49.77

61.07%

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

$42.7K €37.2K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

60.55%

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

$39.9K €34.8K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

47.52%

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

$292 €255

$102 ฿3,420

184.91%

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

$23.66 €20.63

$11.33 ฿378

108.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.79 €39.91

$17.40 ฿581

163.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.45 €27.41

$52.1 ฿1,738

-39.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.74 €22.44

$11.07 ฿370

132.52%

Cinema Ticket

$16.42 €14.31

$7.69 ฿257

113.52%

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

$2,859 €2,492

$561 ฿18.7K

409.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.3K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

52.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.2

$63.0 ฿2,104

60.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.13 €40.21

$29.52 ฿986

56.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €97.4

$98.0 ฿3,272

13.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 €151

$88.5 ฿2,954

96.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,513 €1,319

$738 ฿24.6K

105.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 €936

$482 ฿16.1K

122.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 €2,150

$2,107 ฿70.3K

17.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 €1,502

$1,226 ฿40.9K

40.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,641 €4,918

$3,617 ฿120.7K

55.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,276 €3,728

$2,603 ฿86.9K

64.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,549 €3,094

$494 ฿16.5K

619.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-28.19%

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

Last update for Nijmegen: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,513 in Nijmegen and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nijmegen pays 619% 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: $97.0 in Nijmegen vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $274 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, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 619% higher in Nijmegen, 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: $1,513 in Nijmegen versus $738 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 $32.00 versus $97.0 in Nijmegen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,527 per month in Nijmegen versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,527 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 105% less than in Nijmegen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.