Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Elblag

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,457 in Elblag, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Elblag outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
70

Cost of Living Index in Elblag
Learn more

Elblag Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Elblag

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Elblag

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,457 in Elblag.

Phuket $1,278
Elblag $1,457

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,110 in Elblag.

Phuket $2,216
Elblag $2,110

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,762 in Elblag.

Phuket $3,154
Elblag $2,762

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Elblag, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Elblag is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$12.10 zł 47.70

-63.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$27.08 zł 107

19.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.47 zł 29.45

17.94%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.53 zł 13.91

-19.83%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.17 zł 8.56

-59.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.64 zł 6.48

-70.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.13 zł 12.35

-18.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.76 zł 14.81

-2.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.99 zł 3.92

67.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.62 zł 6.38

-9.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.91 zł 3.59

64.84%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.70 zł 14.60

-43.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.91 zł 35.14

114.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.94 zł 27.37

-52.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$11.75 zł 46.35

-7.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.36 zł 5.35

115.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.73 zł 6.82

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.60 zł 6.32

40.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$3.20 zł 12.60

-35.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.75 zł 2.95

101.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.32 zł 5.19

4.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.15 zł 4.55

-6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.53 zł 2.11

-1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.21 zł 16.59

-0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.50 zł 25.63

189.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.53 zł 2.07

243.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.35 zł 5.33

110.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$1.01 zł 3.97

43.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$24.69 zł 97.4

129.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.10 zł 8.28

43.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.78 zł 3.09

30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$10.19 zł 40.19

-63.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.53 zł 6.05

-3.92%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$30.8K zł 121.6K

-13.14%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$25.3K zł 99.9K

5.36%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$283 zł 1,117

-65.99%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.14 zł 32.11

38.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$13.81 zł 54.4

22.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$42.10 zł 166

59.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$21.62 zł 85.3

-50.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.47 zł 21.55

37.11%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$323 zł 1,275

47.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$1,952 zł 7,696

477.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$80.7 zł 318

-22.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$36.60 zł 144

-22.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$87.3 zł 344

8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$98.4 zł 388

-12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$604 zł 2,382

18.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$513 zł 2,023

-4.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$992 zł 3,913

94.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$896 zł 3,531

59.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,130 zł 8,399

96.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,224 zł 8,769

36.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,295 zł 5,105

-61.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.89

-19.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Elblag: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Elblag

$513 35.2% 4.5% $22

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Elblag

$215 14.8% 19.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Elblag

$305 20.9% 145% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Elblag

$136 9.4% 11.9% $14

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Elblag

$200 13.7% 64.3% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Elblag

$53 3.6% 35.5% $29

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Elblag

$35 2.4% 50.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $604 in Elblag. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elblag pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $27 in Elblag for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $215 per month, with Elblag cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇱 Elblag

🕒 Local time

06:09 6:09 AM

00:09 12:09 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

122,899

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 PLN = 0.254 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3.94 PLN (1 PLN = 0.254 USD). 1 EUR = 4.4 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Elblag 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Elblag

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 Elblag: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $604 in Elblag. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Elblag pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Elblag – a meal for two runs $27 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Elblag are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Elblag on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.