Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostend and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostend and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,857 in Ostend versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,803 in Ostend versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,749 in Ostend versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Ostend is roughly 51% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ostend is 36% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.14 €19.30

$4.41 ฿147

402.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.3 €71.8

$32.26 ฿1,077

155.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 €10.11

$8.93 ฿298

29.90%

Cappuccino

$4.30 €3.75

$2.90 ฿96.6

48.28%

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

$3.22 €2.81

$0.88 ฿29.38

265.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 €2.27

$0.48 ฿16.06

443.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.69 €4.09

$2.35 ฿78.5

99.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.07

$3.72 ฿124

25.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.87 ฿62.3

-35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 €2.35

$1.47 ฿48.94

83.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.55 ฿51.8

45.16%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.53

$2.10 ฿70.1

92.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.08 €10.53

$19.59 ฿654

-38.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 €10.48

$3.42 ฿114

251.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 €11.89

$11.38 ฿380

19.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.53

$2.98 ฿99.6

-2.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.68 ฿56.2

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.21 ฿73.7

3.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.06

$2.16 ฿72.1

9.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.52 ฿50.9

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.34 ฿44.67

34.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.13 ฿37.67

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.55 ฿18.24

65.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.55 €9.19

$4.26 ฿142

147.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 €5.92

$19.09 ฿637

-64.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.78 ฿59.4

21.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 €1.67

$2.78 ฿92.9

-30.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 €3.00

$2.23 ฿74.4

54.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.95 €35.69

$22.74 ฿759

80.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 €2.95

$3.03 ฿101

11.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.02 ฿34.15

120.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.56 €22.28

$3.89 ฿130

557.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.49 ฿49.77

29.53%

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

$35.7K €31.1K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

34.16%

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

$32.2K €28.1K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

19.09%

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

$181 €158

$102 ฿3,420

76.47%

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

$18.64 €16.25

$11.33 ฿378

64.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €48.36

$17.40 ฿581

218.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.78 €32.93

$52.1 ฿1,738

-27.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.39 €9.93

$11.07 ฿370

2.89%

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 €13.18

$7.69 ฿257

96.62%

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

$404 €352

$561 ฿18.7K

-27.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.7K €14.6K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

45.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.6

$63.0 ฿2,104

63.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.78 €23.34

$29.52 ฿986

-9.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €80.4

$98.0 ฿3,272

-5.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$88.5 ฿2,954

41.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 €729

$738 ฿24.6K

13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 €619

$482 ฿16.1K

47.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 €1,119

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-39.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 €883

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-17.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,889 €3,390

$3,617 ฿120.7K

7.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,023 €1,763

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-22.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 €2,749

$494 ฿16.5K

538.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

5.57

-40.22%

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

Last update for Ostend: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $836 in Ostend and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ostend pays 539% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Ostend vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 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

Ostend vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ostend and Phuket differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,857 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 539% higher in Ostend, 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: $836 in Ostend versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $82.0 in Ostend. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,857 per month in Ostend versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,857 in Ostend, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ostend. 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, Ostend 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 51% less than in Ostend. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.