Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Haarlem

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $3,258 in Haarlem, rent and utilities included – about $23,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Haarlem
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Haarlem Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Haarlem

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,258

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Haarlem

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $3,258 in Haarlem, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Haarlem $3,258

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $4,615 in Haarlem, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Haarlem $4,615

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $5,971 in Haarlem, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Haarlem $5,971

Phuket is about 61% cheaper than Haarlem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Haarlem is 139% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$29.24 €26.27

-84.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$100 €89.9

-67.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$13.67 €12.28

-35.55%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$4.14 €3.72

-31.64%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$4.08 €3.67

-78.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$3.37 €3.03

-85.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$8.03 €7.21

-68.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.63 €5.06

-34.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.46 €1.31

13.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.79 €2.51

-47.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$2.64 €2.37

-43.18%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.75 €4.27

-56.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$13.92 €12.50

37.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$13.30 €11.95

-75.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$21.49 €19.31

-49.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.98 €2.68

-1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$2.53 €2.27

-33.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.80 €1.62

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$4.98 €4.48

-58.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.89 €1.70

-20.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$2.27 €2.04

-39.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.29 €1.16

-17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.00 €0.90

-48.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$13.88 €12.47

-69.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.73 €6.95

143.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.50 €1.34

21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.36 €2.12

20.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$2.84 €2.55

-48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$83.0 €74.6

-31.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$6.19 €5.56

-51.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$2.50 €2.24

-59.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$26.38 €23.70

-86.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$2.53 €2.27

-41.90%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$41.4K €37.2K

-35.40%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$39.6K €35.5K

-32.53%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$249 €224

-61.29%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$23.98 €21.54

-53.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$60.9 €54.7

-72.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$53.3 €47.91

26.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$28.02 €25.17

-61.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$16.09 €14.45

-53.39%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$2,598 €2,334

-81.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$6,587 €5,917

70.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$85.1 €76.4

-26.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$63.2 €56.8

-55.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$97.7 €87.8

-3.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$147 €132

-41.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$2,031 €1,825

-64.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$1,781 €1,600

-72.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$3,215 €2,888

-40.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,603 €2,338

-45.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$7,820 €7,025

-46.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$5,830 €5,237

-47.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$4,219 €3,790

-88.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.8

46.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Haarlem: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Haarlem

$1.8K 54.7% 263% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Haarlem

$362 11.1% 36% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Haarlem

$334 10.3% 168% $209

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Haarlem

$177 5.4% 44.9% $55

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Haarlem

$406 12.5% 234% $284

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Haarlem

$86 2.6% 4% $3.3

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Haarlem

$113 3.5% 60.2% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $2,031 in Haarlem. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Haarlem are about 8.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $100 in Haarlem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $362 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇳🇱 Haarlem

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

18:38 6:38 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

165,396

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD 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).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Haarlem 9,570 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Haarlem

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 Haarlem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Haarlem costs about 155% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $4,887 in Haarlem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $2,031 in Haarlem.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $100 in Haarlem. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $3,258 in Haarlem. That’s a gap of about 155%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Haarlem at $3,258. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Haarlem it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $3,258 in Haarlem. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Haarlem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.