Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chalcis Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chalcis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,439 in Chalcis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,228 in Chalcis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,017 in Chalcis.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 14% less than in Chalcis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Chalcis is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.52 €10.04

-61.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$47.10 €41.05

-31.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.26 €8.07

-3.56%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$3.77 €3.29

-23.08%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.26 €1.97

-61.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.65 €0.57

-26.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.43 €2.99

-31.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.73 €4.12

-21.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.63 €1.42

14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.37 €1.19

7.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.28 €1.99

-32.02%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.34 €3.79

-51.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$11.97 €10.44

63.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.90 €8.63

-65.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.83 €12.93

-23.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.04 €1.78

46.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.00 €1.74

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.76 €1.53

25.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.06 €1.80

4.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.14 €0.99

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.36 €1.19

-1.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.93 €0.81

21.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.90 €0.78

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.06 €4.41

-15.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.12 €6.21

168.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.79 €1.56

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.54 €3.09

-21.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.37 €1.20

62.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$4.49 €3.91

-32.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.19 €1.04

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$14.59 €12.72

-73.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$2.12 €1.84

-29.72%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$28.5K €24.9K

-6.82%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$24.2K €21.1K

11.47%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$166 €144

-38.14%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$24.88 €21.69

-54.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$29.25 €25.50

-40.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$69.5 €60.6

-25.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$9.41 €8.21

-18.28%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$296 €258

89.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$4,594 €4,004

150.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$70.7 €61.6

-10.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$36.56 €31.87

-19.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$78.1 €68.1

25.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$110 €96.0

-19.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$608 €530

21.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$509 €443

-5.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,067 €930

97.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$893 €778

37.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,525 €2,201

43.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$2,120 €1,848

22.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,078 €940

-54.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.36

27.75%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Chalcis: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $608 in Chalcis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chalcis pays 118% 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 $47.00 in Chalcis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $277 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 Chalcis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 118% lower in Chalcis. 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 $608 in Chalcis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Chalcis. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,439 in Chalcis – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,439 in Chalcis, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Chalcis. 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 Chalcis, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Chalcis 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 17% less than in Chalcis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.