Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Olsztyn and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,690 in Olsztyn, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

82

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
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Olsztyn Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,690

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Olsztyn and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Olsztyn and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,690 in Olsztyn versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Olsztyn $1,690
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,444 in Olsztyn versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Olsztyn $2,444
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Olsztyn versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Olsztyn $3,199
Phuket $3,154

Living in Olsztyn is roughly 32% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Olsztyn is 24% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.81 zł 50.7

$4.47 ฿151

186.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 zł 199

$32.41 ฿1,094

55.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.13 zł 36.15

$8.81 ฿297

3.63%

Cappuccino

$3.45 zł 13.64

$2.83 ฿95.5

21.91%

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

$2.41 zł 9.53

$0.87 ฿29.43

177.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 zł 7.42

$0.49 ฿16.67

283.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 zł 11.90

$2.56 ฿86.4

17.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 zł 15.42

$3.68 ฿124

5.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 zł 4.04

$1.66 ฿56.0

-38.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 zł 5.20

$1.46 ฿49.35

-10.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 zł 5.62

$1.50 ฿50.6

-5.33%

Eggs

$3.88 zł 15.37

$2.09 ฿70.5

85.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 zł 37.90

$19.07 ฿644

-49.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 zł 28.55

$3.30 ฿111

118.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 zł 58.2

$10.91 ฿368

34.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 zł 4.69

$2.93 ฿99.0

-59.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 zł 6.33

$1.69 ฿57.1

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 zł 7.37

$2.25 ฿75.8

-17.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 zł 13.86

$2.08 ฿70.1

68.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 zł 3.70

$1.51 ฿51.0

-38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 zł 4.63

$1.38 ฿46.56

-15.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 zł 5.31

$1.07 ฿35.99

25.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 zł 2.85

$0.52 ฿17.52

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 zł 22.13

$4.20 ฿142

33.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.56 zł 29.91

$18.79 ฿634

-59.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 zł 4.44

$1.82 ฿61.5

-38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 zł 5.90

$2.84 ฿95.9

-47.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 zł 3.95

$1.45 ฿49.03

-31.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.14 zł 99.5

$56.7 ฿1,913

-55.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.09 zł 8.25

$3.02 ฿102

-30.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 zł 2.87

$1.02 ฿34.36

-28.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.32 zł 40.84

$3.69 ฿125

179.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 zł 6.23

$1.47 ฿49.81

6.80%

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

$30.6K zł 121.0K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

14.16%

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

$29.5K zł 116.7K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

10.52%

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

$330 zł 1,307

$96.4 ฿3,254

242.86%

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

$9.68 zł 38.29

$11.26 ฿380

-14.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.33 zł 76.5

$16.85 ฿569

14.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.06 zł 174

$67.2 ฿2,270

-34.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 zł 88.4

$10.73 ฿362

108.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.95 zł 35.43

$7.50 ฿253

19.33%

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

$383 zł 1,517

$476 ฿16.1K

-19.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.9K zł 55.0K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

23.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 zł 393

$62.4 ฿2,106

59.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.99 zł 194

$28.41 ฿959

72.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 zł 404

$94.3 ฿3,184

8.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 zł 406

$85.8 ฿2,898

19.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$806 zł 3,188

$716 ฿24.2K

12.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 zł 2,481

$491 ฿16.6K

27.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 zł 5,103

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-33.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 zł 4,053

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-28.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,592 zł 14.2K

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-13.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,440 zł 9,657

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-19.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,395 zł 5,522

$502 ฿17.0K

177.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.52

5.57

35.01%

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

Last update for Olsztyn: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Olsztyn

$627 37.1%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 21.7% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olsztyn

$359 21.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 65.4% $235

Groceries & Markets

Olsztyn

$237 14%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 12.4% $29

Eating Out

Olsztyn

$211 12.5%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 42.4% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Olsztyn

$159 9.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 23.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Olsztyn

$62 3.7%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 32.7% $20

Getting Around

Olsztyn

$35 2.1%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 103% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $806 in Olsztyn and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olsztyn pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $50 in Olsztyn vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $266, with Olsztyn cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

21:02 9:02 PM

6 h ahead of Olsztyn

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,675

79,308

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.96 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Olsztyn Phuket 8,510 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Olsztyn
Phuket

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

Olsztyn vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Olsztyn is about 2.8 times higher, 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: $806 in Olsztyn versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Olsztyn pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $50 in Olsztyn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,690 in Olsztyn, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Olsztyn. 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, Olsztyn 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Olsztyn on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.