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: $1,564 in Novelda versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,344 in Novelda versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,124 in Novelda versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Novelda is roughly 24% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Novelda is 16% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.08 €12.99

$4.56 ฿149

230.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 €49.20

$46.63 ฿1,519

22.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 €8.88

$8.47 ฿276

21.72%

Cappuccino

$2.16 €1.87

$3.03 ฿98.6

-28.71%

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

$2.30 €1.98

$0.69 ฿22.45

233.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.37 ฿11.92

305.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 €2.53

$2.49 ฿81.0

18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.08

$3.66 ฿119

-2.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.97

$2.18 ฿71.0

-48.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.90 ฿62.0

-28.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$2.20 ฿71.6

-27.73%

Eggs

$2.91 €2.51

$2.22 ฿72.4

31.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 €10.09

$19.99 ฿651

-41.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.14 €7.88

$3.66 ฿119

149.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 €12.73

$13.25 ฿432

11.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$3.23 ฿105

-17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.70 ฿55.3

7.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.39 ฿78.0

-40.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.08 ฿67.7

8.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.59 ฿51.8

15.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.48 ฿48.31

10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.03 ฿33.54

13.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.58

$0.52 ฿16.83

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 €5.82

$4.25 ฿138

58.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.16 €4.45

$18.79 ฿612

-72.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.76 ฿57.2

-33.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.76 ฿89.8

-31.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.36 ฿44.32

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.89 €29.20

$11.36 ฿370

198.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 €1.41

$3.14 ฿102

-47.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 €1.08

$1.04 ฿33.74

20.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.35 €14.95

$13.77 ฿448

26.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.34 ฿43.79

35.07%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

23.83%

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

$30.3K €26.1K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-10.67%

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

$127 €110

$124 ฿4,025

2.87%

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

$13.26 €11.42

$13.52 ฿440

-1.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 €27.36

$18.69 ฿609

69.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.41 €40.85

$61.8 ฿2,013

-23.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.23 €13.12

$17.25 ฿562

-11.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.39 €8.09

$9.14 ฿298

2.74%

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

$587 €505

$703 ฿22.9K

-16.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K €9,166

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-32.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 €61.9

$59.5 ฿1,937

20.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.68 €26.44

$35.07 ฿1,142

-12.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.9

$115 ฿3,754

-12.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €92.0

$84.1 ฿2,737

27.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 €726

$619 ฿20.1K

36.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 €595

$433 ฿14.1K

59.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 €1,142

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-35.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 €871

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-33.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,391 €2,921

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-7.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 €1,966

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-13.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $842 in Novelda and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $57.0 in Novelda vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $293, 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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,564 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,346 in Novelda and $1,892 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: $842 in Novelda versus $619 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 198% less than in Novelda. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $587 in Novelda versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,564 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 24% less than in Novelda. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.