Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chios

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,489 in Chios, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Chios, Greece
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Chios
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,489
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Chios

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Chios actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,489 in Chios, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Chios $1,489

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,201 in Chios, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Chios $2,201

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,912 in Chios, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Chios $2,912

Phuket is about 14% cheaper than Chios, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Chios is 9% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Chios
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$13.75 €12.35
-67.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$45.38 €40.77
-28.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$14.01 €12.58
-37.12%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$3.71 €3.33
-23.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$2.47 €2.22
-64.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.91 €0.82
-46.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$4.51 €4.05
-43.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.41 €3.96
-16.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Chios
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.62 €1.46
2.47%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$1.41 €1.27
3.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$2.57 €2.31
-41.63%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$4.63 €4.16
-54.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$13.41 €12.04
42.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$10.00 €8.98
-67.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$14.97 €13.44
-27.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.14 €1.92
36.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.98 €1.78
-14.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.36 €1.22
65.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$2.02 €1.81
2.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.13 €1.02
33.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.01 €0.90
36.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$1.13 €1.02
-5.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.80 €0.72
-35.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$5.52 €4.96
-23.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$7.45 €6.69
152.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.99 €1.79
-8.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$2.59 €2.32
9.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Chios
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$1.35 €1.21
7.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$51.9 €46.65
9.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.64 €3.27
-17.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.12 €1.00
-8.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$14.67 €13.17
-74.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$2.09 €1.88
-29.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$27.9K €25.0K
-3.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$29.2K €26.2K
-8.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Chios
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$202 €182
-52.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$24.62 €22.11
-54.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$31.71 €28.49
-46.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Chios
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$48.79 €43.82
37.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$24.92 €22.38
-56.94%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$9.46 €8.50
-20.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Chios
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$435 €391
9.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$8,094 €7,271
39.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Chios
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$97.5 €87.5
-36.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$41.59 €37.36
-31.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$96.2 €86.4
-2.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$124 €111
-30.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Chios
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$547 €492
30.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$411 €369
19.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$752 €675
156.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$605 €543
136.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$2,730 €2,453
52.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$2,134 €1,917
42.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Chios
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.48
24.33%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chios: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Chios
$411 16.3% $80
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Chios
$282 5.9% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Chios
$259 108% $134
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Chios
$162 32.7% $40
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Chios
$241 98.4% $120
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Chios
$68 17.7% $15
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Chios
$67 5.7% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $547 in Chios. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $45 in Chios. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $282 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇬🇷 Chios
🕒 Local time
01:39 1:39 AM
20:39 8:39 PM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
53,408
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Chios 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Chios

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Chios: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Chios?
Chios costs about 17% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Chios?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,233 in Chios. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Chios?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chios, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $547 there versus $716 in Phuket.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and in Chios?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $435 in Chios. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Chios?
Groceries cost about 6% more in Chios, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Chios?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,489 in Chios. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Phuket compared to Chios?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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