Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Grecia

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,506 in Grecia, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Grecia
Learn more

Grecia Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Grecia

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Grecia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,506 in Grecia.

Phuket $1,278
Grecia $1,506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,101 in Grecia.

Phuket $2,216
Grecia $2,101

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,696 in Grecia.

Phuket $3,154
Grecia $2,696

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in Grecia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Grecia is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$10.27 ₡4,632

-56.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$53.5 ₡24.2K

-39.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.68 ₡5,270

-24.57%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.22 ₡1,451

-12.11%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.80 ₡814

-51.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.86 ₡841

-73.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.62 ₡1,183

-2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.90 ₡1,310

26.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.03 ₡918

-18.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.13 ₡509

29.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.49 ₡1,122

-39.76%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.55 ₡1,601

-41.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$7.50 ₡3,382

154.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.51 ₡2,938

-49.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.26 ₡6,434

-23.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.48 ₡1,121

18.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.59 ₡718

6.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.35 ₡611

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.72 ₡774

20.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.78 ₡803

-15.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.57 ₡708

-12.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.96 ₡432

11.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$2.22 ₡1,001

-76.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.03 ₡2,723

-30.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$12.47 ₡5,628

50.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$2.12 ₡955

-14.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.56 ₡702

82.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.84 ₡829

-21.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.02 ₡913

49.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.57 ₡707

-35.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$8.48 ₡3,827

-56.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.59 ₡715

-7.55%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$34.4K ₡15.5M

-22.07%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$41.3K ₡18.6M

-35.32%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$86.2 ₡38.9K

11.75%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$26.86 ₡12.1K

-58.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$59.1 ₡26.6K

-71.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$50.2 ₡22.6K

33.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$11.97 ₡5,399

-10.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.56 ₡3,414

-0.79%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$985 ₡444.4K

-51.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$17.5K ₡7.9M

-35.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$70.3 ₡31.7K

-11.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$55.2 ₡24.9K

-48.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$128 ₡57.7K

-26.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$134 ₡60.6K

-36.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$442 ₡199.3K

62.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$621 ₡280.2K

-20.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$772 ₡348.3K

149.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$678 ₡306.1K

110.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$660 ₡297.7K

-23.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.62

-35.38%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Grecia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Grecia

$621 41.2% 26.5% $130

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Grecia

$267 17.7% 0.3% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Grecia

$172 11.4% 38.3% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Grecia

$174 11.6% 43% $52

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Grecia

$189 12.6% 55.6% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Grecia

$65 4.3% 20.6% $17

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Grecia

$17 * 1.1% 75.6% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $442 in Grecia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grecia pays 31% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $54 in Grecia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $267 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇷 Grecia

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

17:12 5:12 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

16,700

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 502 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Grecia 18,000 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Grecia

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 Grecia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Grecia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% 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 $442 in Grecia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,506 in Grecia – Phuket is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $54 in Grecia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,506 in Grecia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Grecia. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

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