Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Garliava Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Garliava

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,327 in Garliava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,033 in Garliava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,738 in Garliava.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Garliava, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Garliava 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$11.79 €10.16

-61.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$64.0 €55.1

-27.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.90 €5.95

22.75%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.16 €2.72

-4.11%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.21 €1.91

-68.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.77 €1.53

-79.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$5.32 €4.58

-53.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$4.32 €3.72

-15.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.40 €1.21

55.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.85 €1.59

2.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.26 €1.95

-2.65%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.85 €2.46

-22.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.86 €9.36

84.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.67 €6.61

-52.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.61 €9.14

24.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.35 €1.16

139.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.60 €1.38

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.20 €1.90

8.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.38 €2.91

-38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.76 €0.65

109.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.93 €0.80

59.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.73 €1.49

-40.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.80 €0.69

-35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.64 €4.86

-24.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$10.15 €8.74

85.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.65 €1.43

6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.80 €1.55

53.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.19 €1.02

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$32.96 €28.40

-65.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$2.91 €2.51

7.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.02 €0.88

1.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$9.09 €7.84

51.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.62 €1.40

-17.28%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$39.3K €33.9K

-29.60%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$29.3K €25.2K

15.73%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$211 €181

-41.33%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$15.82 €13.63

-14.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$14.81 €12.76

26.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$42.83 €36.91

44.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$22.97 €19.79

-24.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$9.02 €7.77

1.33%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$461 €397

52.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$7,805 €6,725

103.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$83.4 €71.8

-28.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$43.60 €37.56

-19.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$84.4 €72.7

36.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$114 €97.9

-26.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$533 €459

16.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$365 €314

18.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$818 €705

152.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$647 €558

133.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$3,092 €2,664

17.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,776 €1,530

47.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,394 €1,201

-63.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.13

29.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Garliava: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $533 in Garliava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Garliava pays 175% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $64.0 in Garliava. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $251, with Garliava 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 Garliava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Garliava earns 175% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $533 in Garliava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 190% less than in Garliava. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $461 in Garliava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,327 in Garliava, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Garliava. 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 Garliava, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Garliava 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 5% less than in Garliava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.