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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,535 in Chalcis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,233 in Chalcis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,930 in Chalcis.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Chalcis is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$13.57 €11.75

-66.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$48.70 €42.18

-6.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.50 €8.23

-7.79%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$4.17 €3.61

-28.78%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.69 €1.46

-59.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.56 €0.49

-30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.42 €2.96

-26.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.95 €3.42

-5.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.49 €1.29

44.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.62 €1.41

12.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.97 €1.71

10.66%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$4.06 €3.51

-44.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$13.57 €11.75

47.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$9.77 €8.46

-62.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$13.24 €11.47

2.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.06 €1.78

57.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.85 €1.61

-11.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.13 €0.98

106.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.98 €1.72

4.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.08 €0.93

43.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.27 €1.10

14.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.00 €0.87

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.45 €0.39

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.09 €4.41

-14.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.63 €5.74

180.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.66 €1.44

12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.35 €2.03

12.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.43 €1.24

-0.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$45.72 €39.59

-74.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$4.75 €4.12

-33.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.06 €0.92

-2.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$13.86 €12.00

0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$2.10 €1.82

-36.19%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$34.8K €30.1K

-20.08%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$29.4K €25.4K

13.71%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$286 €248

-57.02%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$23.78 €20.60

-42.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$30.97 €26.82

-40.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$68.3 €59.2

-11.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$10.13 €8.78

-12.44%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$297 €257

131.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$5,447 €4,717

189.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$111 €96.5

-46.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$39.12 €33.88

-11.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$101 €87.5

13.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$95.5 €82.7

-12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$531 €460

17.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$376 €325

18.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$778 €673

161.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$605 €524

147.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,545 €2,204

35.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,009 €1,740

26.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,031 €893

-52.13%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Chalcis: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $531 in Chalcis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chalcis pays 109% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Chalcis. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $262, 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 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 109% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $531 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 $46.00 versus $49.00 in Chalcis. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,535 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 21% less than in Chalcis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.