Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Crema

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,567 in Crema, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Crema, Italy
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Crema
🇮🇹 Italy
$1,567
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Crema

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 Crema actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,567 in Crema, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Crema $1,567

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,100 in Crema, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Crema $2,100

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,633 in Crema, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Crema $2,633

Phuket is about 18% cheaper than Crema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Crema is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Crema
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$17.06 €15.32
-73.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$56.6 €50.8
-42.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$10.18 €9.14
-13.46%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$1.67 €1.50
69.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$3.68 €3.31
-76.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$1.53 €1.38
-67.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$5.71 €5.13
-55.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.65 €5.07
-34.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Crema
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.13 €1.01
46.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$1.69 €1.52
-13.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$2.78 €2.50
-46.04%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$3.40 €3.06
-38.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$12.51 €11.24
52.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$8.86 €7.96
-62.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$15.62 €14.03
-30.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.29 €2.06
27.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.36 €1.22
24.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.41 €1.26
59.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$2.33 €2.09
-10.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.36 €1.23
11.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.52 €1.37
-9.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$1.30 €1.17
-17.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.40 €0.36
30.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$7.01 €6.30
-40.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$5.67 €5.10
231.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.36 €1.22
33.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$1.02 €0.92
178.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Crema
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$4.52 €4.06
-33.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.20 €1.08
-15.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$34.31 €30.82
-89.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.95 €1.76
-24.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$36.7K €33.0K
-27.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$35.2K €31.6K
-24.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Crema
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$271 €243
-64.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$10.17 €9.14
10.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$28.16 €25.29
-40.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Crema
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$27.81 €24.98
-61.42%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$12.96 €11.64
-42.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Crema
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$556 €499
-14.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$10.2K €9,173
10.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Crema
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$54.6 €49.06
14.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$44.35 €39.84
-35.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$89.2 €80.2
5.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$90.4 €81.2
-5.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Crema
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$734 €659
-2.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$592 €532
-17.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$1,241 €1,114
55.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$548 €492
161.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Crema
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$2,315 €2,080
-78.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.62
53.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Crema: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Crema
$592 20.7% $101
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Crema
$256 3.9% $10
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Crema
$309 148% $185
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Crema
$125 2.9% $3.5
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Crema
$248 104% $126
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Crema
$26 * 68.5% $56
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Crema
$11 * 85.1% $60

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $734 in Crema. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Crema are about 4.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $57 in Crema. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $256 in Crema – so Crema wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇮🇹 Crema
🕒 Local time
05:04 5:04 AM
23:04 11:04 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
32,981
💱 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 Crema 9,280 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Crema

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 Crema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Crema?
Yes – Crema is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,350 in Crema. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Crema?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $716 in Phuket and $734 in Crema. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Crema?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $57 in Crema. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Crema?
Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Crema – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Crema?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Crema at $1,567. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Crema it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Crema?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,567 in Crema. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Crema makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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