Cost of Living Comparison Between Novelda and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Novelda and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,566 in Novelda versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,313 in Novelda versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,061 in Novelda versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Novelda is roughly 27% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Novelda is 17% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.01 €12.82

$4.63 ฿151

224.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 €49.48

$46.84 ฿1,523

23.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 €9.02

$8.84 ฿287

19.57%

Cappuccino

$2.10 €1.79

$3.00 ฿97.4

-30.00%

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

$2.30 €1.96

$0.74 ฿24.11

210.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.27

$0.37 ฿11.88

302.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.44 ฿79.3

19.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.02

$3.61 ฿117

-1.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$2.26 ฿73.5

-50.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.84 ฿59.8

-27.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.32

$2.24 ฿73.0

-30.80%

Eggs

$2.90 €2.48

$2.32 ฿75.3

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.56 €9.87

$19.67 ฿639

-41.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 €7.75

$3.65 ฿119

148.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 €12.61

$13.10 ฿426

12.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 €2.21

$3.39 ฿110

-23.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.64 ฿53.4

7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 €1.23

$2.41 ฿78.5

-40.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 €1.94

$2.03 ฿66.0

11.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.56 ฿50.6

19.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.50 ฿48.66

12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.02 ฿33.30

15.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.60

$0.49 ฿15.91

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 €5.72

$4.45 ฿145

50.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 €4.48

$18.88 ฿614

-72.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.00

$1.78 ฿57.7

-33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.54

$2.75 ฿89.5

-34.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.40 ฿45.54

17.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 €28.63

$11.48 ฿373

192.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 €1.42

$3.12 ฿101

-46.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.00 ฿32.48

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.58 €15.01

$14.09 ฿458

24.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.55

$1.35 ฿43.93

34.81%

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

$34.9K €29.8K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

28.44%

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

$29.8K €25.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-9.62%

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

$126 €107

$125 ฿4,063

0.53%

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

$13.73 €11.72

$13.57 ฿441

1.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.02 €27.34

$18.52 ฿602

72.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.56 €40.61

$61.5 ฿1,999

-22.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.95 €12.77

$16.84 ฿547

-11.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.42 €8.04

$9.19 ฿299

2.50%

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

$597 €509

$698 ฿22.7K

-14.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,012

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-32.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 €61.3

$57.8 ฿1,878

24.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.07 €26.53

$35.24 ฿1,146

-11.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €85.6

$113 ฿3,677

-11.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.6

$86.4 ฿2,808

24.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$867 €740

$616 ฿20.0K

40.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 €585

$446 ฿14.5K

53.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 €1,123

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-35.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 €860

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-32.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,551 €3,032

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-6.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,369 €2,023

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-10.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

5.33

-35.46%

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

Last update for Novelda: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $867 in Novelda and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Novelda vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $292, with Novelda cheaper for home cooking.

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

Novelda vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novelda and Phuket differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,566 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,349 in Novelda and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $867 in Novelda versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 192% less than in Novelda. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $597 in Novelda versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,566 in Novelda, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Novelda. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Novelda 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 27% less than in Novelda. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.