Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Belgrade

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,541 in Belgrade, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Belgrade, Serbia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Belgrade
🇷🇸 Serbia
$1,541
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Belgrade

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,541 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Belgrade $1,541

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,343 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Belgrade $2,343

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,146 in Belgrade, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Belgrade $3,146

Phuket is about 17% cheaper than Belgrade, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Belgrade is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Belgrade
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$13.09 RSD 1,371
-65.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$56.1 RSD 5,879
-42.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$13.35 RSD 1,398
-34.01%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$3.10 RSD 325
-8.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$2.72 RSD 285
-68.01%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$2.24 RSD 235
-78.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$3.51 RSD 368
-27.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.06 RSD 425
-9.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Belgrade
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.39 RSD 145
19.42%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$1.12 RSD 117
30.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$2.65 RSD 278
-43.40%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.69 RSD 281
-22.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$10.92 RSD 1,144
74.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$6.52 RSD 683
-49.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$15.55 RSD 1,629
-29.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$1.59 RSD 166
84.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.83 RSD 192
-7.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.80 RSD 188
25.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$3.10 RSD 324
-32.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.87 RSD 90.7
73.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$0.66 RSD 68.8
109.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$0.77 RSD 80.4
38.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.69 RSD 72.2
-24.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$4.73 RSD 496
-11.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$8.61 RSD 902
118.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$0.94 RSD 98.6
93.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$1.51 RSD 159
88.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Belgrade
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.02 RSD 316
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$0.99 RSD 103
3.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$17.07 RSD 1,788
-78.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.87 RSD 196
-21.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$31.0K RSD 3.2M
-13.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$23.4K RSD 2.5M
13.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Belgrade
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$212 RSD 22.2K
-54.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$24.87 RSD 2,605
-54.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$34.64 RSD 3,629
-51.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Belgrade
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$40.02 RSD 4,192
67.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$22.70 RSD 2,378
-52.73%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$8.02 RSD 840
-6.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Belgrade
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$439 RSD 46.0K
8.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$11.3K RSD 1.2M
-0.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Belgrade
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$111 RSD 11.6K
-43.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$47.02 RSD 4,925
-39.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$113 RSD 11.8K
-16.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$152 RSD 15.9K
-43.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Belgrade
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$806 RSD 84.4K
-11.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$547 RSD 57.3K
-10.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,551 RSD 162.4K
24.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$982 RSD 102.8K
45.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$5,342 RSD 559.5K
-21.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$3,117 RSD 326.5K
-2.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Belgrade
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$1,217 RSD 127.5K
-58.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.61
20.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Belgrade: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Belgrade
$547 11.4% $56
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Belgrade
$240 9.8% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Belgrade
$272 118% $147
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Belgrade
$190 56% $68
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Belgrade
$228 87% $106
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Belgrade
$56 31.8% $26
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Belgrade
$8 * 88.7% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $806 in Belgrade. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Belgrade are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $56 in Belgrade. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $240 in Belgrade – so Belgrade wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇷🇸 Belgrade
🕒 Local time
00:00 12:00 AM
18:00 6:00 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
1,197,714 Capital
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 105 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Belgrade 8,440 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Belgrade

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 Belgrade: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Belgrade compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,541 in Belgrade – Phuket comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Belgrade?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,311 in Belgrade. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Belgrade?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $806 in Belgrade.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $56 in Belgrade. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Belgrade – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Belgrade at $1,541. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Belgrade it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Belgrade?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,541 in Belgrade. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Phuket or Belgrade safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Phuket and Belgrade?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Belgrade makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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