Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cagliari Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cagliari

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,247 per month in Phuket vs $1,765 in Cagliari, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Phuket vs $2,752 in Cagliari, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Phuket vs $3,739 in Cagliari, rent included.

Phuket is about 29% cheaper than Cagliari, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Phuket sits 7% below the global median, while Cagliari is 31% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Phuket
Cagliari
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.59 āļŋ147
$23.37 ₮19.89
-80.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.83 āļŋ1,501
$91.0 ₮77.5
-48.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 āļŋ279
$10.93 ₮9.30
-20.40%
Cappuccino
$2.92 āļŋ93.7
$1.77 ₮1.51
64.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.68 āļŋ21.92
$2.84 ₮2.42
-76.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40 āļŋ12.70
$1.36 ₮1.16
-70.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.51 āļŋ80.4
$5.84 ₮4.97
-57.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 āļŋ122
$4.52 ₮3.85
-15.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Cagliari
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 āļŋ69.3
$1.64 ₮1.40
31.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 āļŋ60.3
$2.26 ₮1.93
-16.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.16 āļŋ69.2
$3.35 ₮2.85
-35.52%
Eggs
$2.22 āļŋ71.2
$3.48 ₮2.96
-36.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.57 āļŋ627
$17.25 ₮14.68
13.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.80 āļŋ122
$12.90 ₮10.98
-70.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.41 āļŋ430
$18.91 ₮16.09
-29.09%
Apples (1kg)
$3.26 āļŋ104
$2.41 ₮2.05
35.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 āļŋ51.7
$1.77 ₮1.50
-9.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 āļŋ74.0
$2.27 ₮1.93
1.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 āļŋ66.0
$3.65 ₮3.11
-43.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.61 āļŋ51.5
$1.81 ₮1.54
-11.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.44 āļŋ46.26
$2.04 ₮1.74
-29.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 āļŋ33.01
$1.46 ₮1.24
-29.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 āļŋ15.39
$0.59 ₮0.50
-18.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.50 āļŋ144
$6.83 ₮5.82
-34.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.18 āļŋ615
$8.32 ₮7.08
130.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 āļŋ58.4
$1.63 ₮1.38
11.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 āļŋ86.2
$1.41 ₮1.20
90.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Cagliari
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.38 āļŋ44.16
$1.46 ₮1.24
-5.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.76 āļŋ377
$40.45 ₮34.42
-70.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.11 āļŋ99.6
$3.66 ₮3.12
-15.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.00 āļŋ32.18
$1.15 ₮0.98
-13.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.74 āļŋ441
$29.31 ₮24.94
-53.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 āļŋ41.61
$2.04 ₮1.73
-36.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K āļŋ877.0K
$33.7K ₮28.7K
-18.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.0K āļŋ1.1M
$35.3K ₮30.0K
-6.47%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Cagliari
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 āļŋ4,004
$180 ₮153
-30.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.74 āļŋ440
$13.25 ₮11.27
3.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.61 āļŋ597
$31.33 ₮26.66
-40.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Cagliari
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.6 āļŋ1,941
$52.4 ₮44.61
15.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.15 āļŋ550
$45.02 ₮38.31
-61.91%
Cinema Ticket
$9.01 āļŋ289
$10.51 ₮8.94
-14.27%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Phuket
Cagliari
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$698 āļŋ22.4K
$534 ₮455
30.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.1K āļŋ516.5K
$7,812 ₮6,648
106.26%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Cagliari
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.2 āļŋ1,898
$91.6 ₮77.9
-35.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.86 āļŋ1,118
$61.6 ₮52.5
-43.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$114 āļŋ3,662
$85.6 ₮72.9
33.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 āļŋ2,751
$121 ₮103
-28.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Cagliari
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$619 āļŋ19.8K
$899 ₮765
-31.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$437 āļŋ14.0K
$658 ₮560
-33.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,075 āļŋ66.5K
$1,450 ₮1,234
43.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,509 āļŋ48.4K
$1,030 ₮877
46.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,764 āļŋ120.7K
$3,417 ₮2,908
10.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,694 āļŋ86.4K
$2,530 ₮2,153
6.47%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Cagliari
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$528 āļŋ16.9K
$1,837 ₮1,563
-71.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.33
4.87
9.45%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Cagliari: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $899 in Cagliari. 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 248% higher in Cagliari, 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 $47 in Phuket versus $91 in Cagliari. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $339 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cagliari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cagliari cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Cagliari is pricier by about 42%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,870 per month in Phuket and $2,647 in Cagliari. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 244% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $698 per month in Phuket and $534 in Cagliari. 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 Phuket or Cagliari?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,247, than in Cagliari at $1,765. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cagliari it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Cagliari more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Cagliari?
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, Cagliari makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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