Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Amsterdam

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $26,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Amsterdam
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$3,517
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Amsterdam

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 Amsterdam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $3,517 in Amsterdam, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Amsterdam $3,517

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $5,063 in Amsterdam, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Amsterdam $5,063

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $6,608 in Amsterdam, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Amsterdam $6,608

Phuket is about 64% cheaper than Amsterdam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Amsterdam is 158% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Amsterdam
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$22.34 €20.07
-79.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$88.6 €79.6
-63.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$14.80 €13.30
-40.47%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$4.65 €4.18
-39.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$3.69 €3.32
-76.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$2.90 €2.60
-83.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$7.92 €7.12
-67.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$6.54 €5.87
-43.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Amsterdam
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.44 €1.29
15.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$2.40 €2.15
-39.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$2.50 €2.25
-40.00%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$5.15 €4.63
-59.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$16.90 €15.19
12.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$12.73 €11.44
-74.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$22.87 €20.55
-52.30%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.75 €2.47
6.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$2.74 €2.46
-38.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.74 €2.47
-17.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$3.86 €3.47
-46.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.52 €2.27
-40.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.65 €1.49
-16.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$1.51 €1.35
-29.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$1.69 €1.52
-69.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$14.52 €13.04
-71.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$8.60 €7.73
118.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.78 €1.60
2.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$2.51 €2.25
13.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Amsterdam
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$3.70 €3.32
-60.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$117 €105
-51.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$4.69 €4.21
-35.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$3.42 €3.08
-70.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$39.00 €35.04
-90.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$2.56 €2.30
-42.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$40.6K €36.5K
-34.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$38.9K €34.9K
-31.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Amsterdam
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$306 €275
-68.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$22.66 €20.36
-50.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$52.8 €47.47
-68.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Amsterdam
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$55.0 €49.38
22.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$35.66 €32.04
-69.91%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$16.48 €14.81
-54.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Amsterdam
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$2,778 €2,496
-82.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$17.0K €15.2K
-33.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Amsterdam
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$92.7 €83.3
-32.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$41.28 €37.09
-31.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$101 €91.1
-7.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$134 €120
-35.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Amsterdam
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$2,642 €2,374
-72.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$1,989 €1,787
-75.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$4,165 €3,742
-53.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$3,251 €2,921
-55.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$10.6K €9,482
-60.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$6,734 €6,050
-54.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Amsterdam
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$4,625 €4,156
-89.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.3
68.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Amsterdam: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Amsterdam
$2K 305% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Amsterdam
$381 43% $114
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Amsterdam
$382 207% $257
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Amsterdam
$166 36.4% $44
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Amsterdam
$358 194% $236
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Amsterdam
$88 6.9% $5.7
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Amsterdam
$153 117% $83

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $2,642 in Amsterdam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Amsterdam are about 9.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $89 in Amsterdam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $381 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇳🇱 Amsterdam
🕒 Local time
23:46 11:46 PM
17:46 5:46 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
881,933 Capital
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Amsterdam 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Amsterdam

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 Amsterdam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Amsterdam?
Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 175%, 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 $1,917 per month in Phuket and $5,276 in Amsterdam. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $2,642 in Amsterdam.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 51% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $2,778 in Amsterdam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Amsterdam?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Amsterdam at $3,517. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $3,517 in Amsterdam. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Amsterdam?
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, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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