Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Hasselt

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,005 in Hasselt, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Hasselt
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,005
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Hasselt

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $2,005 in Hasselt, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Hasselt $2,005

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $3,025 in Hasselt, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Hasselt $3,025

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $4,045 in Hasselt, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Hasselt $4,045

Phuket is about 40% cheaper than Hasselt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Hasselt is 48% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Hasselt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿154
$22.57 €20.14
-79.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,089
$102 €90.7
-68.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿287
$13.48 €12.03
-36.57%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.3
$3.67 €3.27
-25.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.35
$3.67 €3.27
-74.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.45
$3.20 €2.85
-84.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.9
$5.12 €4.57
-49.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$5.60 €5.00
-31.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Hasselt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.3
$1.31 €1.17
32.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.98
$2.52 €2.25
-43.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.2
$2.23 €1.99
-31.39%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.9
$3.31 €2.95
-34.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿642
$7.93 €7.08
141.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$11.52 €10.28
-71.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿374
$23.13 €20.65
-51.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.8
$2.01 €1.80
46.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.3
$1.73 €1.55
-2.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿77.1
$2.58 €2.31
-10.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.5
$2.59 €2.31
-17.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.3
$1.79 €1.60
-14.53%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.70
$1.30 €1.16
4.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.57
$1.06 €0.95
5.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.30
$1.05 €0.93
-47.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿143
$13.02 €11.62
-67.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿610
$9.04 €8.07
101.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.4
$1.61 €1.44
8.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.6
$2.00 €1.79
39.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Hasselt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.3
$3.14 €2.80
-29.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿740
$32.49 €29.00
-32.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.6
$5.68 €5.07
-48.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.91
$2.66 €2.38
-62.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$36.34 €32.43
-89.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.0
$1.99 €1.77
-25.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿894.6K
$35.6K €31.8K
-25.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿895.6K
$33.9K €30.3K
-21.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Hasselt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,332
$205 €183
-51.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿378
$19.80 €17.67
-43.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿582
$46.52 €41.52
-62.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Hasselt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,753
$27.36 €24.41
91.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿364
$9.17 €8.19
18.32%
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿254
$15.14 €13.51
-50.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Hasselt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$1,591 €1,420
-64.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿385.2K
$32.8K €29.3K
-65.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Hasselt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,109
$110 €98.2
-42.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿958
$52.0 €46.45
-45.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,224
$103 €92.1
-6.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,953
$133 €119
-33.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Hasselt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.5K
$936 €836
-22.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$794 €708
-42.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.3K
$1,444 €1,289
45.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿41.0K
$1,193 €1,065
2.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿116.0K
$4,517 €4,031
-23.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.5K
$2,384 €2,128
4.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Hasselt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
$3,034 €2,708
-83.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.46
60.98%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hasselt: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Hasselt
$794 72.6% $334
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Hasselt
$310 15.8% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Hasselt
$271 112% $143
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Hasselt
$179 44.5% $55
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Hasselt
$329 171% $208
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Hasselt
$58 14.5% $9.8
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Hasselt
$64 64.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $936 in Hasselt. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 515% higher in Hasselt, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $102 in Hasselt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $310 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇪 Hasselt
🕒 Local time
15:01 3:01 PM
10:01 10:01 AM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
74,694
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Hasselt 9,540 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Hasselt

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 Hasselt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Hasselt compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Phuket, $2,005 in Hasselt – roughly 66% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Hasselt?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $3,007 in Hasselt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Hasselt?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Hasselt?
Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $1,591 in Hasselt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 16% more in Hasselt, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Hasselt at $2,005. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hasselt it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Hasselt?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,207 in Phuket to $2,005 in Hasselt. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Phuket or Hasselt safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Phuket and Hasselt?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hasselt makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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