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 $1,530 in Chalcis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,203 in Chalcis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,876 in Chalcis.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 19% less than in Chalcis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Chalcis is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$13.26 €11.35

-65.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$49.44 €42.32

-5.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.21 €7.88

-4.02%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.12 €3.53

-27.18%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.64 €1.40

-54.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.60 €0.51

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.27 €2.80

-25.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.15 €3.55

-13.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.54 €1.31

46.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.63 €1.39

12.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.06 €1.76

8.74%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$4.18 €3.58

-44.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$13.59 €11.63

44.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$10.03 €8.58

-63.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$13.08 €11.19

0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.06 €1.76

64.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.87 €1.60

-12.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.07 €0.92

125.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.98 €1.70

2.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.13 €0.96

38.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.28 €1.09

17.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.04 €0.89

-1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.48 €0.41

2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.87 €4.17

-8.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.56 €5.62

187.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.58 €1.36

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.42 €2.07

13.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.43 €1.23

-2.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$46.66 €39.94

-75.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.76 €4.08

-34.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.05 €0.90

-4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$13.56 €11.61

3.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.17 €1.86

-37.79%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$34.8K €29.8K

-21.83%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.9K €25.6K

10.03%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$287 €246

-56.45%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$24.15 €20.67

-43.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$30.82 €26.39

-39.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$69.6 €59.6

-11.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$9.81 €8.40

-6.32%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$289 €248

141.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,455 €4,670

185.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$110 €94.2

-47.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$38.80 €33.21

-9.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$101 €86.2

12.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$95.4 €81.7

-9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$521 €446

18.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$383 €328

16.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$790 €677

159.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$590 €505

152.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,623 €2,245

44.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,128 €1,822

24.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,090 €933

-51.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.34

22.81%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chalcis: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $521 in Chalcis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chalcis pays 108% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Chalcis. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $264, with Chalcis cheaper for home cooking.

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 Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Chalcis earns 108% less. 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: $616 in Phuket versus $521 in Chalcis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Chalcis pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $49.00 in Chalcis. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,530 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 24% less than in Chalcis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.