For one person, living is cheaper in Nis: $1,033 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nis and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,033 per month in Nis vs $1,190 in Phuket, rent included.
Nis $1,033
Phuket $1,190
A couple spends around $1,512 per month in Nis vs $2,006 in Phuket, rent included.
Nis $1,512
Phuket $2,006
A family of three spends $1,991 per month in Nis vs $2,822 in Phuket, rent included.
Nis $1,991
Phuket $2,822
🙂
Nis is about 13% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.
📊
Both Nis and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Nis23% lower, Phuket11% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Nis
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.78RSD 915
$4.35฿146
101.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.92RSD 3,533
$32.45฿1,087
4.53%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$9.57RSD 997
$8.42฿282
13.66%
Cappuccino
$1.97RSD 206
$2.81฿94.0
-29.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31RSD 241
$0.87฿29.29
165.52%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74RSD 181
$0.46฿15.39
278.26%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.61RSD 377
$2.59฿86.6
39.38%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49RSD 468
$3.64฿122
23.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nis
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.14RSD 119
$1.71฿57.2
-33.33%
White Bread(500g)
$0.70RSD 73.0
$1.45฿48.42
-51.72%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.76RSD 183
$1.56฿52.3
12.82%
Eggs
$2.35RSD 245
$2.10฿70.3
11.90%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$7.65RSD 797
$19.53฿654
-60.83%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.72RSD 596
$3.40฿114
68.24%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$10.59RSD 1,103
$11.14฿373
-4.94%
Apples(1kg)
$1.11RSD 116
$2.83฿94.8
-60.78%
Banana(1kg)
$1.68RSD 175
$1.62฿54.3
3.70%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.50RSD 157
$2.22฿74.5
-32.43%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.17RSD 226
$2.15฿71.9
0.93%
Potato(1kg)
$0.78RSD 81.6
$1.49฿49.95
-47.65%
Onion(1kg)
$0.72RSD 74.5
$1.33฿44.40
-45.86%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.64RSD 66.4
$1.07฿35.72
-40.19%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58RSD 60.4
$0.51฿17.01
13.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.42RSD 460
$4.38฿147
0.91%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.78RSD 602
$18.77฿629
-69.21%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.72RSD 75.1
$1.74฿58.3
-58.62%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.29RSD 134
$2.78฿92.9
-53.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Nis
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
-
$2.17฿72.6
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$22.28฿746
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.84RSD 192
$3.02฿101
-39.07%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.66RSD 68.6
$1.06฿35.43
-37.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$8.29RSD 864
$3.71฿124
123.45%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.89RSD 197
$1.43฿47.88
32.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7KRSD 3.2M
$26.3K฿882.1K
16.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0KRSD 2.5M
$26.2K฿877.3K
-8.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nis
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$160RSD 16.7K
$96.7฿3,236
66.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.03RSD 1,982
$11.41฿382
66.78%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.20RSD 2,312
$17.11฿573
29.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nis
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$30.54RSD 3,181
$52.8฿1,768
-42.16%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.65RSD 1,630
$11.07฿371
41.37%
Cinema Ticket
$4.68RSD 488
$7.65฿256
-38.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nis
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$252RSD 26.3K
$555฿18.6K
-54.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$4,989RSD 519.7K
$11.3K฿377.7K
-55.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nis
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.4RSD 9,213
$63.4฿2,123
39.45%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.42RSD 3,898
$28.61฿958
30.79%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$99.3RSD 10.3K
$96.7฿3,238
2.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112RSD 11.6K
$88.6฿2,967
26.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nis
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$398RSD 41.4K
$735฿24.6K
-45.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$277RSD 28.9K
$458฿15.3K
-39.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$591RSD 61.6K
$2,102฿70.4K
-71.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$397RSD 41.4K
$1,187฿39.7K
-66.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,531RSD 263.6K
$3,493฿116.9K
-27.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,884RSD 196.3K
$2,491฿83.4K
-24.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nis
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$901RSD 93.8K
$501฿16.8K
79.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.12
5.57
-8.08%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Nis: October 6, 2026
Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Nis
$277 27.1%
Phuket
$458 38.1% ↑ 65.3%$181
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nis
$202 19.7%
Phuket
$125 10.4% ↓ 37.9%$77
🛒Groceries & Markets
Nis
$182 17.8%
Phuket
$268 22.3% ↑ 47.5%$86
🍽Eating Out
Nis
$166 16.2%
Phuket
$119 9.9% ↓ 28.1%$47
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Nis
$152 14.8%
Phuket
$125 10.4% ↓ 17.7%$27
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Nis
$40 3.9%
Phuket
$68 5.7% ↑ 70.7%$28
🚌Getting Around
Nis
$5.1 * 0.5%
Phuket
$39 3.3% ↑ 664%$34
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Nis
$397 20%
Phuket
$1.2K 42% ↑ 199%$790
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nis
$221 11.1%
Phuket
$137 4.8% ↓ 38.1%$84
🛒Groceries & Markets
Nis
$428 21.6%
Phuket
$604 21.4% ↑ 41%$176
🍽Eating Out
Nis
$494 24.9%
Phuket
$393 13.9% ↓ 20.4%$101
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Nis
$337 17%
Phuket
$277 9.8% ↓ 17.7%$60
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Nis
$95 4.8%
Phuket
$147 5.2% ↑ 54.3%$52
🚌Getting Around
Nis
$10 * 0.5%
Phuket
$83 2.9% ↑ 707%$73
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A central one-bedroom costs $398 in Nis versus $735 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 80% higher in Nis, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.
🛒A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Nis versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $182 in Nis vs $268 in Phuket – so Nis wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.
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
Nis vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nis or Phuket?
Phuket costs about 15% more than Nis, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Nis and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,549 per month in Nis and $1,785 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Nis or Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nis, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Nis compared to Phuket?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,033 in Nis and $1,190 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 15%.
How do childcare costs compare in Nis and in Phuket?
Kindergarten costs $252 per month in Nis and $555 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Nis or in Phuket?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nis, where all-in costs run around $1,033, than in Phuket at $1,190. In Nis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Nis or Phuket?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nis costs $1,033 versus $1,190 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Nis compared to Phuket?
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.
Should I move to Nis or to Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Nis. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.