Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Heraklion Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Heraklion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,575 in Heraklion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,474 in Heraklion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,374 in Heraklion.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 20% less than in Heraklion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Heraklion is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$14.13 €12.16

-66.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$58.4 €50.2

-22.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$11.56 €9.94

-27.08%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$3.89 €3.35

-24.68%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.18 €1.87

-68.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.60 €0.52

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$5.96 €5.13

-59.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.76 €4.96

-35.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.84 €1.58

21.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.49 €1.28

22.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.70 €2.32

-19.63%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$5.56 €4.79

-60.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$16.98 €14.61

16.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$11.37 €9.78

-68.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$14.65 €12.60

-7.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.25 €1.93

45.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.13 €1.83

-24.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.45 €1.24

66.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.84 €1.58

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.30 €1.12

17.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.53 €1.31

-3.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.87 €0.75

13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.66 €0.57

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.29 €4.55

-16.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.05 €6.92

140.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.09 €1.80

-14.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.39 €2.92

-20.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.59 €1.37

-13.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$46.27 €39.80

-75.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$4.53 €3.90

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$11.60 €9.98

21.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$2.16 €1.86

-37.04%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$35.0K €30.1K

-19.53%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.8K €22.2K

27.69%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$216 €186

-43.62%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$22.89 €19.69

-40.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$37.02 €31.85

-50.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$52.7 €45.32

14.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$39.87 €34.30

-57.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$9.36 €8.05

-7.16%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$431 €371

60.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,159 €3,578

277.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$100 €86.3

-40.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$46.48 €39.98

-25.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$89.6 €77.1

27.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$133 €114

-37.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$555 €477

10.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$424 €364

3.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,044 €898

100.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$875 €752

72.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$4,014 €3,452

-6.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,848 €2,450

-8.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,156 €994

-56.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.44

20.05%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $555 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heraklion pays 128% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in Heraklion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $309 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Heraklion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Heraklion earns 128% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $555 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $431 in Heraklion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Heraklion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,575 in Heraklion, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Heraklion. 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 Heraklion, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Heraklion 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 25% less than in Heraklion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.