Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Aalst

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,067 in Aalst, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Aalst
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Aalst Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Aalst

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Aalst

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Aalst actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,067 in Aalst.

Phuket $1,207
Aalst $2,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $3,086 in Aalst.

Phuket $2,037
Aalst $3,086

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $4,105 in Aalst.

Phuket $2,867
Aalst $4,105

Living in Phuket costs roughly 42% less than in Aalst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Aalst is 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$22.53 €20.10

-79.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,089

$106 €94.3

-69.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$13.43 €11.99

-36.34%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.3

$4.43 €3.95

-38.60%

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

$0.94 ฿31.35

$3.63 €3.24

-74.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.45

$3.17 €2.83

-84.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

$5.55 €4.96

-53.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$5.53 €4.93

-30.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.31 €1.17

32.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.98

$2.81 €2.51

-49.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$2.13 €1.90

-28.17%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.9

$3.83 €3.42

-43.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿642

$17.39 €15.52

10.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$11.87 €10.59

-72.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$22.29 €19.90

-50.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.8

$2.99 €2.67

-1.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$2.43 €2.17

-30.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.1

$2.67 €2.38

-13.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.5

$3.23 €2.88

-34.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$2.47 €2.21

-38.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.70

$1.95 €1.74

-30.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.57

$1.54 €1.37

-27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.30

$1.05 €0.94

-47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$12.93 €11.54

-67.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿610

$8.74 €7.80

108.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.72 €1.54

1.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.6

$2.08 €1.85

34.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.3

$3.09 €2.76

-28.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿740

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.6

$2.86 €2.55

1.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.91

$2.35 €2.09

-57.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$40.40 €36.05

-90.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$2.12 €1.89

-29.72%

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

$26.7K ฿894.6K

$34.7K €30.9K

-23.03%

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

$26.7K ฿895.6K

$32.8K €29.3K

-18.60%

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

$99.4 ฿3,332

$203 €181

-51.00%

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

$11.28 ฿378

$21.94 €19.58

-48.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿582

$50.8 €45.37

-65.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,753

$36.21 €32.32

44.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿364

$21.03 €18.77

-48.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$15.18 €13.55

-50.13%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$1,605 €1,433

-65.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿385.2K

$33.7K €30.1K

-65.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,109

$113 €101

-44.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿958

$46.17 €41.21

-38.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,224

$102 €90.9

-5.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,953

$163 €146

-46.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.5K

$911 €813

-19.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$808 €721

-43.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.3K

$1,384 €1,236

51.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.0K

$1,104 €985

10.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿116.0K

$4,162 €3,714

-16.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.5K

$2,890 €2,580

-13.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$2,782 €2,483

-82.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.46

60.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aalst: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Aalst

$807 39.1% 75.6% $348

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Aalst

$360 17.4% 34.6% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Aalst

$276 13.3% 115% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Aalst

$191 9.2% 54% $67

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Aalst

$340 16.4% 180% $218

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Aalst

$67 3.2% 1.3% $0.9

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Aalst

$27 * 1.3% 30.7% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $911 in Aalst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aalst pays 464% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $106 in Aalst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $360 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇪 Aalst

🕒 Local time

13:31 1:31 PM

08:31 8:31 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

78,271

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Aalst 9,630 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Aalst

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

Phuket vs Aalst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Aalst differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,207 vs $2,067 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 464% lower in Aalst. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $911 in Aalst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Aalst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $2,067 in Aalst – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,067 in Aalst, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Aalst. 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, Phuket and Aalst 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 71% less than in Aalst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.