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: $1,982 in Ostend versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,018 in Ostend versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,055 in Ostend versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Ostend is roughly 57% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ostend is 47% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.24 €20.88

$4.56 ฿149

431.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 €99.3

$46.63 ฿1,519

147.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.61 €10.87

$8.47 ฿276

48.88%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.55

$3.03 ฿98.6

35.97%

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

$3.42 €2.95

$0.69 ฿22.45

395.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.73

$0.37 ฿11.92

756.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 €4.66

$2.49 ฿81.0

117.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.92

$3.66 ฿119

24.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.17

$2.18 ฿71.0

-38.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 €2.45

$1.90 ฿62.0

49.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.20 ฿71.6

15.00%

Eggs

$4.19 €3.61

$2.22 ฿72.4

88.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.38 €13.25

$19.99 ฿651

-23.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 €10.05

$3.66 ฿119

218.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.21 €19.13

$13.25 ฿432

67.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$3.23 ฿105

-9.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.70 ฿55.3

15.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.00

$2.39 ฿78.0

-2.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.08 ฿67.7

44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.59 ฿51.8

21.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.48 ฿48.31

32.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.03 ฿33.54

37.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.91

$0.52 ฿16.83

103.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.23 €10.54

$4.25 ฿138

187.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 €6.03

$18.79 ฿612

-62.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.76 ฿57.2

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.76 ฿89.8

-32.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 €2.94

$1.36 ฿44.32

150.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.44 €34.84

$11.36 ฿370

255.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 €2.95

$3.14 ฿102

8.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 €2.20

$1.04 ฿33.74

145.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.50 €32.31

$13.77 ฿448

172.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.34 ฿43.79

41.04%

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

$26.0K €22.4K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-6.21%

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

$28.3K €24.4K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-16.40%

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

$250 €215

$124 ฿4,025

102.23%

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

$25.29 €21.79

$13.52 ฿440

87.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 €54.2

$18.69 ฿609

236.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.06 €31.07

$61.8 ฿2,013

-41.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 €14.79

$17.25 ฿562

-0.52%

Cinema Ticket

$14.81 €12.76

$9.14 ฿298

62.04%

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

$406 €350

$703 ฿22.9K

-42.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,544 €5,639

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-58.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.9 €84.3

$59.5 ฿1,937

64.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.99 €40.48

$35.07 ฿1,142

33.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €91.9

$115 ฿3,754

-7.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 €134

$84.1 ฿2,737

84.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 €708

$619 ฿20.1K

32.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 €576

$433 ฿14.1K

54.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,041

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-41.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 €824

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-36.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,845 €3,312

$3,646 ฿118.7K

5.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,051 €1,767

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-21.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,231 €2,784

$507 ฿16.5K

537.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

5.33

-37.52%

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

Last update for Ostend: June 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $822 in Ostend and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ostend pays 537% 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: $115 in Ostend vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $293 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 57% in total monthly costs ($1,982 vs $1,261 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ostend pays 537% more on average, 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: $822 in Ostend versus $619 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 $47.00 versus $115 in Ostend. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,982 per month in Ostend versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,982 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 57% less than in Ostend. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.