Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ostia and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,756 in Ostia, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ostia
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,756
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ostia 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 Ostia and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,756 per month in Ostia vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Ostia $1,756
  • Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $2,594 per month in Ostia vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Ostia $2,594
  • Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $3,432 per month in Ostia vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Ostia $3,432
  • Phuket $2,867

Ostia costs about 45% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ostia sits 30% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ostia
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.51 €14.69
$4.58 ฿153
260.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.0 €58.7
$32.48 ฿1,086
103.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.10
$8.55 ฿286
32.87%
Cappuccino
$2.25 €2.00
$2.72 ฿91.0
-17.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 €2.07
$0.94 ฿31.25
147.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.20 €1.06
$0.49 ฿16.39
144.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.46 €4.86
$2.59 ฿86.6
110.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 €4.27
$3.83 ฿128
25.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ostia
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 €1.48
$1.74 ฿58.1
-4.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.43 ฿47.82
51.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.00 €2.67
$1.53 ฿51.0
96.08%
Eggs
$4.54 €4.04
$2.17 ฿72.7
109.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.92 €13.27
$19.15 ฿640
-22.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.49 €11.11
$3.30 ฿110
278.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.61 €17.44
$11.14 ฿372
76.03%
Apples (1kg)
$2.59 €2.30
$2.95 ฿98.5
-12.20%
Banana (1kg)
$2.06 €1.84
$1.68 ฿56.1
22.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 €2.07
$2.30 ฿76.8
1.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.38 €2.11
$2.13 ฿71.3
11.74%
Potato (1kg)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.53 ฿51.1
-5.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.60 €1.42
$1.36 ฿45.55
17.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.32 €1.17
$1.12 ฿37.44
17.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 €0.46
$0.55 ฿18.24
-7.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.63 €5.90
$4.26 ฿142
55.63%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.42 €4.82
$18.19 ฿608
-70.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 €1.39
$1.74 ฿58.2
-10.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 €2.22
$2.79 ฿93.3
-10.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Ostia
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.65 €1.47
$2.22 ฿74.1
-25.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.01 €34.70
$22.06 ฿737
76.84%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.42 €3.93
$2.91 ฿97.3
51.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.24 €1.11
$1.01 ฿33.79
22.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.16 €20.60
$3.83 ฿128
504.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.49 ฿49.85
44.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.3K €31.4K
$26.7K ฿891.6K
32.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K €31.5K
$26.7K ฿892.7K
32.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ostia
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$197 €175
$99.4 ฿3,321
97.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.61 €8.55
$11.28 ฿377
-14.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.13 €27.69
$17.36 ฿580
79.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ostia
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.1 €49.93
$52.3 ฿1,747
7.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.20 €9.96
$10.85 ฿362
3.23%
Cinema Ticket
$11.07 €9.85
$7.57 ฿253
46.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ostia
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$449 €400
$558 ฿18.7K
-19.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,805 €7,832
$11.5K ฿383.9K
-23.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ostia
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.2 €64.2
$62.9 ฿2,102
14.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.65 €32.60
$28.58 ฿955
28.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.6 €75.2
$96.1 ฿3,213
-12.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$88.1 ฿2,943
41.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ostia
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$853 €759
$729 ฿24.4K
16.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 €599
$460 ฿15.4K
46.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 €1,005
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-46.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$990 €881
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-19.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ostia
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,992 €1,772
$493 ฿16.5K
303.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.5
5.57
-37.16%

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

Last update for Ostia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ostia
$673
Phuket
$460 31.7% $213
Groceries & Markets
Ostia
$324
Phuket
$268 17.3% $56
Eating Out
Ostia
$244
Phuket
$121 50.3% $123
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ostia
$237
Phuket
$128 46.1% $109
Clothing & Footwear
Ostia
$143
Phuket
$124 13.3% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Ostia
$78
Phuket
$67 13.9% $11
Getting Around
Ostia
$56
Phuket
$39 30.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $853 in Ostia versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 304% higher in Ostia, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Ostia versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $324 vs $268 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇹 Ostia
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
04:03 4:03 AM
09:03 9:03 AM
5 h ahead of Ostia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,400
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ostia Phuket 9,100 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ostia
  • 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
Ostia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Ostia?
Yes – Ostia is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,634 per month in Ostia and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Ostia and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Ostia and in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 21% more in Ostia, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ostia or in Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Ostia at $1,756. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ostia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ostia or Phuket more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ostia or Phuket?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ostia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ostia vs other spots: cost of living compared

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