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: $1,996 in Ostend versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,058 in Ostend versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,120 in Ostend versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Ostend is roughly 62% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ostend is 49% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 €21.13

$4.63 ฿151

434.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 €97.9

$46.84 ฿1,523

144.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.68 €10.83

$8.84 ฿287

43.44%

Cappuccino

$4.24 €3.62

$3.00 ฿97.4

41.33%

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

$3.31 €2.82

$0.74 ฿24.11

347.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 €2.60

$0.37 ฿11.88

721.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 €4.66

$2.44 ฿79.3

123.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €3.99

$3.61 ฿117

29.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.13

$2.26 ฿73.5

-41.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 €2.46

$1.84 ฿59.8

56.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$2.24 ฿73.0

12.50%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.56

$2.32 ฿75.3

79.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.61 €13.33

$19.67 ฿639

-20.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.69 €9.99

$3.65 ฿119

220.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.85 €18.66

$13.10 ฿426

66.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 €2.61

$3.39 ฿110

-10.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.64 ฿53.4

19.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$2.41 ฿78.5

-7.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 €2.52

$2.03 ฿66.0

45.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.56 ฿50.6

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.50 ฿48.66

28.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.02 ฿33.30

43.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.91

$0.49 ฿15.91

116.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.31 €10.52

$4.45 ฿145

176.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 €5.94

$18.88 ฿614

-63.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.78 ฿57.7

-3.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.57

$2.75 ฿89.5

-33.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.53 €3.02

$1.40 ฿45.54

152.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 €34.44

$11.48 ฿373

251.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 €2.99

$3.12 ฿101

12.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.27

$1.00 ฿32.48

166.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.15 €31.73

$14.09 ฿458

163.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.59

$1.35 ฿43.93

37.78%

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

$25.1K €21.4K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-7.79%

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

$27.9K €23.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-15.25%

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

$244 €209

$125 ฿4,063

95.50%

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

$24.86 €21.23

$13.57 ฿441

83.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 €51.9

$18.52 ฿602

228.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.91 €29.82

$61.5 ฿1,999

-43.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.93 €14.46

$16.84 ฿547

0.53%

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 €13.07

$9.19 ฿299

66.49%

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

$413 €352

$698 ฿22.7K

-40.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,676 €5,701

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-57.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 €82.5

$57.8 ฿1,878

67.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.93 €39.23

$35.24 ฿1,146

30.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €89.5

$113 ฿3,677

-7.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 €137

$86.4 ฿2,808

85.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$831 €710

$616 ฿20.0K

34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 €585

$446 ฿14.5K

53.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,040

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-40.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$934 €797

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-37.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 €3,370

$3,779 ฿122.8K

4.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,022 €1,727

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-23.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,232 €2,761

$524 ฿17.0K

517.10%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $831 in Ostend and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ostend pays 517% 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 $292 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 62% in total monthly costs ($1,996 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ostend pays 517% 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: $831 in Ostend versus $616 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 $1,996 per month in Ostend versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,996 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 62% less than in Ostend. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.