Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Biella Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Biella

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,515 in Biella.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,371 in Biella.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,227 in Biella.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 19% less than in Biella, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Biella is 13% above.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Phuket
Biella
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63 āļŋ151
$15.31 ₮13.11
-69.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
$71.3 ₮61.0
-34.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.84 āļŋ289
$11.28 ₮9.66
-21.63%
Cappuccino
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
$1.59 ₮1.36
88.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
$3.45 ₮2.96
-78.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
$1.35 ₮1.16
-72.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
$5.08 ₮4.35
-51.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 āļŋ118
$4.54 ₮3.88
-20.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Biella
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
$1.42 ₮1.22
59.15%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
$2.11 ₮1.81
-12.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
$2.36 ₮2.02
-5.08%
Eggs
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
$4.04 ₮3.45
-42.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.67 āļŋ643
$14.89 ₮12.75
32.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.65 āļŋ119
$9.78 ₮8.37
-62.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.10 āļŋ428
$22.81 ₮19.52
-42.57%
Apples (1kg)
$3.39 āļŋ111
$2.53 ₮2.16
33.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
$1.78 ₮1.53
-7.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
$1.71 ₮1.46
40.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
$3.43 ₮2.94
-40.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
$1.67 ₮1.43
-6.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
$1.71 ₮1.46
-12.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
$1.37 ₮1.17
-25.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
$0.40 ₮0.34
22.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45 āļŋ145
$7.12 ₮6.09
-37.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.88 āļŋ617
$5.69 ₮4.87
231.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
$2.08 ₮1.78
-14.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
$2.73 ₮2.33
0.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Biella
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
$1.94 ₮1.66
-27.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.48 āļŋ376
$38.74 ₮33.16
-70.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.12 āļŋ102
$11.43 ₮9.79
-72.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
$2.02 ₮1.73
-50.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.09 āļŋ461
$58.1 ₮49.76
-75.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
$2.10 ₮1.80
-35.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
$28.2K ₮24.2K
-3.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
$32.2K ₮27.5K
2.35%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Biella
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 āļŋ4,087
$247 ₮211
-49.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57 āļŋ444
$7.14 ₮6.11
90.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52 āļŋ606
$29.53 ₮25.27
-37.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Biella
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
$68.6 ₮58.7
-10.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84 āļŋ551
$25.63 ₮21.94
-34.30%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19 āļŋ300
$9.36 ₮8.01
-1.82%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Biella
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$698 āļŋ22.8K
$557 ₮477
25.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
$8,022 ₮6,867
94.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Biella
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
$89.9 ₮76.9
-35.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
$37.50 ₮32.10
-6.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 āļŋ3,699
$80.3 ₮68.8
40.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
$114 ₮97.2
-23.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Biella
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$616 āļŋ20.1K
$468 ₮401
31.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$446 āļŋ14.6K
$401 ₮343
11.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
$777 ₮665
163.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
$627 ₮537
137.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
$1,417 ₮1,213
166.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
$915 ₮783
189.48%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Biella
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$524 āļŋ17.1K
$2,090 ₮1,789
-74.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
4.47
19.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Biella: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $468 in Biella. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Biella pays 299% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $71.0 in Biella for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $316 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Biella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and Biella?
Phuket and Biella differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,515 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, Biella earns 299% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and Biella?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $468 in Biella. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Biella?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $557 in Biella. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Biella. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,515 in Biella, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Biella. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Biella?
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 Phuket or Biella safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Biella 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: Phuket or Biella?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Biella. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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