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: $1,700 in Novelda versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,513 in Novelda versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Novelda versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Novelda is roughly 38% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Novelda is 24% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.27

$4.41 ฿147

297.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.3 €49.86

$32.26 ฿1,074

77.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.14

$8.93 ฿297

30.46%

Cappuccino

$2.30 €2.00

$2.90 ฿96.4

-20.69%

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

$2.07 €1.81

$0.88 ฿29.30

135.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.26

$0.48 ฿16.01

202.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 €2.74

$2.35 ฿78.3

34.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.72 ฿124

-7.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.01

$1.87 ฿62.1

-37.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.47 ฿48.81

-1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.33

$1.55 ฿51.7

-1.29%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.88

$2.10 ฿70.0

57.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.34 €14.22

$19.59 ฿652

-16.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.67 €8.42

$3.42 ฿114

182.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 €14.80

$11.38 ฿379

49.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 €2.59

$2.98 ฿99.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 €1.69

$1.68 ฿56.1

15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 €1.32

$2.21 ฿73.5

-31.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.43

$2.16 ฿72.0

29.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$1.52 ฿50.8

32.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.72

$1.34 ฿44.55

47.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.13 ฿37.57

9.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.60

$0.55 ฿18.19

25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.50 €5.66

$4.26 ฿142

52.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.84 €5.08

$19.09 ฿635

-69.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.78 ฿59.2

-30.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.55

$2.78 ฿92.6

-35.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.43

$2.23 ฿74.2

-26.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.54 €30.07

$22.74 ฿757

51.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 €2.78

$3.03 ฿101

5.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.02 ฿34.06

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.39

$3.89 ฿130

354.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.49 ฿49.63

19.46%

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

$36.2K €31.5K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

36.32%

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

$30.1K €26.2K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

11.32%

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

$134 €117

$102 ฿3,411

31.15%

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

$16.79 €14.61

$11.33 ฿377

48.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.65 €27.54

$17.40 ฿579

81.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.60 €40.56

$52.1 ฿1,734

-10.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 €14.56

$11.07 ฿369

51.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 €8.59

$7.69 ฿256

28.22%

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

$415 €361

$561 ฿18.7K

-26.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,359 €6,405

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-36.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 €66.6

$63.0 ฿2,098

21.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.43 €32.58

$29.52 ฿983

26.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €93.4

$98.0 ฿3,263

9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €94.5

$88.5 ฿2,946

22.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 €814

$738 ฿24.6K

26.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 €605

$482 ฿16.1K

44.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,382 €1,203

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-34.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 €898

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-15.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,489 €3,037

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-3.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 €2,000

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-11.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

5.57

-46.32%

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

Last update for Novelda: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $935 in Novelda and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $57.0 in Novelda vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 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

Novelda vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Novelda and Phuket differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,700 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 $2,550 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: $935 in Novelda versus $738 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 52% less than in Novelda. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $415 in Novelda versus $561 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 $1,700 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 38% less than in Novelda. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.