Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Budva

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,611 in Budva, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Budva
Learn more

Budva Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Budva

🇲🇪 Montenegro

$1,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Budva

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,611 in Budva, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Budva $1,611

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $2,529 in Budva, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Budva $2,529

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $3,447 in Budva, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Budva $3,447

Phuket is about 25% cheaper than Budva, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Budva is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$14.76 €13.13

-68.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$66.5 €59.1

-51.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$13.27 €11.80

-35.57%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$3.39 €3.02

-19.76%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$2.21 €1.96

-57.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.52 €1.35

-67.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$4.69 €4.17

-44.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.27 €3.80

-10.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.25 €1.11

39.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.06 €0.95

34.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$2.21 €1.97

-30.77%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.07 €2.73

-29.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$8.50 €7.56

125.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$9.08 €8.08

-63.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$12.17 €10.83

-8.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.28 €1.14

130.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.75 €1.56

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.52 €1.35

51.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$2.78 €2.47

-23.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.85 €0.76

80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.07 €0.95

27.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.67 €1.48

-32.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.94 €0.84

-41.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.42 €3.93

-3.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$7.67 €6.82

137.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.06 €0.94

64.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.74 €1.55

60.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$2.84 €2.53

-21.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$39.74 €35.34

-44.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.11 €0.98

162.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.09 €0.97

-7.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$16.85 €14.99

-77.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.70 €1.51

-12.35%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$28.5K €25.4K

-6.44%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$25.8K €22.9K

3.60%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$158 €140

-37.00%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$14.92 €13.27

-24.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$33.61 €29.90

-48.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$57.1 €50.8

-8.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$21.24 €18.89

-48.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$6.19 €5.50

22.29%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$407 €362

37.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$9,855 €8,766

16.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$105 €93.3

-40.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$44.04 €39.17

-35.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$96.8 €86.1

-0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$178 €159

-50.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$846 €752

-13.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$606 €539

-24.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$1,499 €1,333

39.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$1,149 €1,022

6.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$4,046 €3,599

-14.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$2,920 €2,597

-14.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$1,028 €915

-52.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.95

-6.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Budva: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Budva

$606 37.6% 31.8% $146

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Budva

$235 14.6% 12% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Budva

$206 12.8% 61.1% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Budva

$191 11.9% 53.9% $67

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Budva

$246 15.2% 102% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Budva

$69 4.3% 3% $2

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Budva

$58 3.6% 48.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $846 in Budva. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 109% higher in Budva, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $66.0 in Budva. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $235 in Budva – so Budva wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇪 Budva

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

22:49 10:49 PM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

13,338

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Budva 8,560 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Budva

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 Budva: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Phuket, $1,611 in Budva – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $2,417 in Budva. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $1,611 in Budva. That's a gap of about 33%.

Public transport costs about 80% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Budva at $1,611. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budva it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,207 in Phuket to $1,611 in Budva. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budva makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.