Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Carbonia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Carbonia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,544 in Carbonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,430 in Carbonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,316 in Carbonia.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 18% less than in Carbonia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Carbonia is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$11.60 €9.99

-60.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$79.5 €68.5

-41.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$10.92 €9.41

-22.44%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.36 €1.17

122.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.14 €0.98

-39.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.56 €0.48

-33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.25 €1.94

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.76 €4.10

-23.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.57 €1.35

38.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.27 €1.95

-16.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.28 €2.82

-32.93%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.51 €3.03

-36.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$17.24 €14.86

15.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$13.15 €11.33

-72.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$19.38 €16.70

-31.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.28 €1.96

41.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.77 €1.52

-3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.23 €1.92

7.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.55 €3.06

-41.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.90 €1.64

-16.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$2.16 €1.86

-31.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.42 €1.22

-27.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.22 €0.19

136.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.87 €5.92

-38.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.17 €7.04

129.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.19 €1.03

47.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.42 €1.23

94.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.70 €1.46

-20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$43.72 €37.67

-74.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$3.68 €3.17

-14.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.17 €1.01

-11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$29.64 €25.53

-53.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$2.08 €1.80

-35.58%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$28.2K €24.3K

-1.91%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$32.3K €27.9K

4.71%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$118 €102

4.84%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$13.21 €11.39

2.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$26.11 €22.50

-28.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$55.5 €47.85

11.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$22.81 €19.65

-24.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$10.65 €9.17

-14.18%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$399 €344

76.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,033 €6,921

97.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$90.5 €78.0

-34.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$62.1 €53.5

-43.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$87.3 €75.2

32.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$118 €102

-28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$757 €652

-18.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$589 €507

-26.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,198 €1,032

72.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$908 €782

66.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,844 €2,451

28.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,120 €1,826

23.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Carbonia: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $757 in Carbonia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $80.0 in Carbonia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $333 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 Carbonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $2,316 in Carbonia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $757 in Carbonia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $399 in Carbonia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Carbonia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,544 in Carbonia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Carbonia. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Carbonia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Carbonia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Carbonia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.