Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paks and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Paks and in Phuket: $1,150 and $1,207 a month, rent and utilities included.

Paks
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,150
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,150 in Paks versus $1,207 in Phuket.

  • Paks $1,150
  • Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,715 in Paks versus $2,037 in Phuket.

  • Paks $1,715
  • Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,279 in Paks versus $2,867 in Phuket.

  • Paks $2,279
  • Phuket $2,867

Living in Paks costs roughly 5% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Paks 15% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Paks
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.65 Ft 2,787
$4.58 ฿153
88.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.55 Ft 9,846
$32.48 ฿1,085
-5.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.31 Ft 2,357
$8.55 ฿286
-14.50%
Cappuccino
$0.87 Ft 281
$2.72 ฿90.9
-68.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.20 Ft 387
$0.94 ฿31.23
27.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 Ft 272
$0.49 ฿16.38
71.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.24 Ft 400
$2.59 ฿86.5
-52.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 Ft 625
$3.83 ฿128
-49.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Paks
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 Ft 375
$1.74 ฿58.0
-33.33%
White Bread (500g)
$0.61 Ft 197
$1.43 ฿47.80
-57.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.41 Ft 777
$1.53 ฿51.0
57.52%
Eggs
$3.22 Ft 1,038
$2.17 ฿72.6
48.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.96 Ft 3,532
$19.15 ฿640
-42.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.29 Ft 2,028
$3.30 ฿110
90.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.34 Ft 4,301
$11.14 ฿372
19.75%
Apples (1kg)
$1.83 Ft 588
$2.95 ฿98.5
-37.97%
Banana (1kg)
$2.08 Ft 671
$1.68 ฿56.1
23.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.07 Ft 666
$2.30 ฿76.8
-10.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 Ft 1,257
$2.13 ฿71.2
83.10%
Potato (1kg)
$0.57 Ft 185
$1.53 ฿51.1
-62.75%
Onion (1kg)
$0.53 Ft 172
$1.36 ฿45.52
-61.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.56 Ft 502
$1.12 ฿37.42
39.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.50 Ft 162
$0.55 ฿18.23
-9.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.98 Ft 2,572
$4.26 ฿142
87.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.17 Ft 1,988
$18.19 ฿608
-66.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 Ft 395
$1.74 ฿58.2
-29.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Ft 530
$2.79 ฿93.3
-41.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Paks
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.25 Ft 402
$2.22 ฿74.0
-43.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$24.22 Ft 7,808
$22.06 ฿737
9.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 Ft 971
$2.91 ฿97.3
3.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.50 Ft 484
$1.01 ฿33.77
48.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.21 Ft 5,871
$3.83 ฿128
375.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.84 Ft 594
$1.49 ฿49.82
23.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.6K Ft 10.5M
$26.7K ฿891.1K
22.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.5K Ft 11.8M
$26.7K ฿892.1K
36.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paks
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$132 Ft 42.6K
$99.4 ฿3,319
33.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.23 Ft 3,299
$11.28 ฿377
-9.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.94 Ft 3,849
$17.36 ฿580
-31.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Paks
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.58 Ft 15.3K
$52.3 ฿1,746
-9.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.10 Ft 6,801
$10.85 ฿362
94.47%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 Ft 2,407
$7.57 ฿253
-1.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Paks
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$253 Ft 81.4K
$558 ฿18.6K
-54.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,945 Ft 2.2M
$11.5K ฿383.7K
-39.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Paks
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$89.8 Ft 28.9K
$62.9 ฿2,100
42.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$13.92 Ft 4,488
$28.58 ฿955
-51.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.3 Ft 31.4K
$96.1 ฿3,211
1.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 Ft 33.9K
$88.1 ฿2,941
19.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Paks
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$529 Ft 170.6K
$729 ฿24.4K
-27.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$405 Ft 130.7K
$460 ฿15.4K
-11.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$755 Ft 243.4K
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-63.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$641 Ft 206.5K
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-47.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,116 Ft 1.0M
$3,459 ฿115.5K
-9.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,611 Ft 841.6K
$2,489 ฿83.1K
4.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Paks
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,276 Ft 411.3K
$493 ฿16.5K
158.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.25
5.57
48.11%

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

Last update for Paks: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Paks
$405
Phuket
$460 13.5% $55
Groceries & Markets
Paks
$231
Phuket
$268 15.9% $37
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Paks
$154
Phuket
$128 17.1% $26
Clothing & Footwear
Paks
$138
Phuket
$124 10% $14
Eating Out
Paks
$120
Phuket
$121 1.3% $1.5
Sport & Entertainment
Paks
$63
Phuket
$67 7.9% $4.9
Getting Around
Paks
$40
Phuket
$39 2.1% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $529 in Paks and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paks pays 159% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31.00 in Paks vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $268 per month, with Paks cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇭🇺 Paks
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
16:49 4:49 PM
21:49 9:49 PM
5 h ahead of Paks
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,917
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to HUF – Hungarian Forint Converter

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 322 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 362 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.77 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 33.4 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.46 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Paks Phuket 8,570 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Paks
  • 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
Paks vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Paks and in Phuket?
Paks and Phuket differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,150 vs $1,207 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Paks or Phuket?
Average pay runs 159% higher in Paks, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Paks and in Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $529 in Paks versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Paks – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,150 in Paks versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paks but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Paks the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Paks and Phuket?
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.
Is Paks or Phuket safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Paks 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.
Where should expats move: Paks or Phuket?
Expats usually find Paks gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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