Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Den Helder

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,005 in Den Helder, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Den Helder, Netherlands
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Den Helder
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,005
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Den Helder

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,005 in Den Helder, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Den Helder $2,005

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,061 in Den Helder, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Den Helder $3,061

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $4,117 in Den Helder, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Den Helder $4,117

Phuket is about 36% cheaper than Den Helder, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Den Helder is 47% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Den Helder
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$19.39 €17.37
-76.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$53.9 €48.34
-39.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$8.25 €7.39
6.79%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$3.72 €3.33
-23.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.37
$2.98 €2.67
-70.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.64
$3.02 €2.70
-83.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$5.01 €4.49
-48.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.88 €4.38
-24.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Den Helder
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.11 €0.99
49.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.25
$1.24 €1.11
17.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$0.82 €0.73
82.93%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$4.20 €3.76
-50.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$10.10 €9.05
88.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$14.50 €12.99
-77.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$15.85 €14.20
-31.17%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$2.60 €2.33
12.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.96 €1.76
-13.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$1.22 €1.09
84.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$4.19 €3.76
-50.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$1.40 €1.26
7.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.47
$1.01 €0.90
36.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.91
$1.03 €0.93
3.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.49
$0.70 €0.62
-25.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$13.59 €12.17
-69.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$7.22 €6.47
160.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.32 €1.18
37.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$2.63 €2.36
7.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Den Helder
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$9.43 €8.45
-84.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
$154 €138
-63.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.83 €3.43
-21.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.29
$3.10 €2.78
-67.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$36.21 €32.45
-89.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$2.47 €2.22
-40.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.4K
$41.1K €36.8K
-34.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.5K
$39.0K €35.0K
-31.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Den Helder
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,247
$201 €180
-52.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$15.19 €13.61
-25.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$20.22 €18.11
-16.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Den Helder
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,266
$23.99 €21.50
180.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
$19.17 €17.18
-44.03%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$14.70 €13.17
-48.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Den Helder
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$2,878 €2,579
-83.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.6K
$13.0K €11.6K
-13.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Den Helder
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,102
$116 €104
-46.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$46.63 €41.79
-39.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,178
$119 €106
-20.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,892
$136 €122
-36.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Den Helder
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$883 €791
-18.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$744 €666
-33.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$1,792 €1,606
7.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$1,347 €1,207
6.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
$2,912 €2,610
43.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Den Helder
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$2,429 €2,177
-79.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
2.8
98.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Den Helder: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Den Helder
$744 51.5% $253
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Den Helder
$289 8.7% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Den Helder
$237 90.3% $112
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Den Helder
$188 53.9% $66
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Den Helder
$283 133% $162
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Den Helder
$53 35.1% $29
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Den Helder
$211 199% $140

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $883 in Den Helder. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Den Helder are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $54 in Den Helder. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $289 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇳🇱 Den Helder
🕒 Local time
18:06 6:06 PM
12:06 12:06 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
56,296
💱 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Den Helder 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Den Helder

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 Den Helder: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Den Helder?
Yes – Den Helder is pricier by about 57%, 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 $3,007 in Den Helder. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $883 in Den Helder.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Den Helder?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $54 in Den Helder. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Den Helder?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $2,005 in Den Helder. That makes Phuket about 36% cheaper.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Den Helder?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Den Helder at $2,005. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Den Helder it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Den Helder more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Den Helder?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
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, Den Helder makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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