Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cesena Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cesena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,691 in Cesena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,613 in Cesena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,535 in Cesena.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in Cesena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Cesena is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$17.18 €14.98

-74.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$94.0 €82.0

-65.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$12.72 €11.09

-29.80%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.29 €2.00

26.64%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.81 €2.45

-68.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.15 €1.00

-58.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$6.18 €5.39

-61.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$5.29 €4.61

-29.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.37 €1.19

36.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.36 €1.18

8.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.96 €1.71

-20.92%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.89 €2.52

-27.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$18.12 €15.79

8.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$11.98 €10.44

-71.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$17.08 €14.89

-33.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.96 €1.71

52.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.51 €2.19

-33.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$2.44 €2.13

-9.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.93 €3.42

-45.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.58 €1.38

-3.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.75 €1.52

-23.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.96 €1.71

-42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.35 €0.31

57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$7.12 €6.21

-40.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.06 €6.16

170.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.26 €1.10

41.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.78 €1.55

56.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$2.28 €1.99

-2.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$40.74 €35.51

-44.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$8.64 €7.53

-64.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.00 €1.75

-49.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$34.20 €29.81

-88.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$2.01 €1.75

-25.87%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$37.6K €32.7K

-29.25%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$36.5K €31.8K

-25.94%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$196 €170

-47.59%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$10.08 €8.79

12.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$31.58 €27.53

-44.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$54.1 €47.18

-3.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$14.48 €12.62

-23.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$10.20 €8.89

-24.61%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$559 €488

0.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$10.5K €9,191

9.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$93.1 €81.2

-32.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$37.43 €32.63

-21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$85.6 €74.7

14.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$79.8 €69.5

10.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$686 €598

7.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$611 €532

-21.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,177 €1,026

79.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$986 €859

24.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$3,001 €2,616

20.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,680 €2,336

-2.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,770 €1,543

-72.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.3

68.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Cesena: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $686 in Cesena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cesena pays 259% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $94.0 in Cesena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $311 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 Cesena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Cesena differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,691 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 259% lower in Cesena. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $686 in Cesena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $94.0 in Cesena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,691 in Cesena – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,691 in Cesena, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cesena. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cesena 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 37% less than in Cesena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.