Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Genk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Genk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,044 in Genk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $3,009 in Genk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,973 in Genk.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 39% less than in Genk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Genk is 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$23.04 €20.18

-80.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$94.2 €82.5

-50.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$11.46 €10.04

-22.86%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$3.85 €3.37

-20.52%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$3.22 €2.82

-77.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$2.95 €2.58

-86.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$5.65 €4.95

-56.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$5.65 €4.94

-33.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.96 €0.84

135.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.99 €2.62

-39.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.90 €2.54

-22.41%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$4.32 €3.79

-47.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.12 €7.98

113.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.39 €7.35

-56.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.55 €10.12

12.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.41 €2.11

34.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.57 €2.26

-36.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$2.69 €2.36

-11.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$3.08 €2.69

-34.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.58 €2.26

-40.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.38 €2.08

-36.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.63 €1.43

-39.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.16 €1.01

-55.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$12.49 €10.94

-64.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.62 €6.67

140.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.89 €1.66

-1.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.42 €2.12

10.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$3.37 €2.95

-58.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$59.0 €51.6

-80.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$7.55 €6.61

-58.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.54 €2.23

-59.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$34.52 €30.24

-59.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.86 €1.63

-29.57%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$23.3K €20.4K

19.23%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$28.3K €24.8K

17.23%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$252 €221

-51.44%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$21.09 €18.47

-35.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$56.1 €49.16

-66.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$37.82 €33.12

59.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$16.87 €14.77

0.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$15.03 €13.17

-39.65%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$293 €257

140.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$13.7K €12.0K

15.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$106 €93.1

-44.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$49.82 €43.63

-29.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$87.0 €76.2

32.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$108 €94.6

-22.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$932 €816

-32.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$755 €661

-41.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,394 €1,221

46.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,130 €989

32.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,657 €2,327

31.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,010 €1,760

28.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$2,310 €2,023

-78.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.65

46.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Genk: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $932 in Genk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Genk pays 362% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $94.0 in Genk. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $288, with Genk 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 Genk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 362% lower in Genk. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $932 in Genk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Genk pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $94.0 in Genk. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,044 in Genk, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Genk. 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 Genk, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Genk 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 63% less than in Genk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.