Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Heraklion

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,190 a month against $1,609 in Heraklion, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Heraklion
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Heraklion Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Heraklion

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Heraklion

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,609 in Heraklion.

Phuket $1,190
Heraklion $1,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $2,492 in Heraklion.

Phuket $2,006
Heraklion $2,492

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $3,374 in Heraklion.

Phuket $2,822
Heraklion $3,374

Living in Phuket costs roughly 26% less than in Heraklion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Heraklion is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$13.02 €11.62

-66.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$56.5 €50.4

-42.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$10.03 €8.96

-16.05%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$3.80 €3.39

-26.05%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$2.43 €2.17

-64.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$0.76 €0.68

-39.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$5.62 €5.02

-53.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$5.48 €4.89

-33.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.79 €1.60

-4.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.47 €1.32

-1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$2.73 €2.43

-42.86%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$4.38 €3.91

-52.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$15.75 €14.06

24.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$10.42 €9.30

-67.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$15.23 €13.59

-26.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$2.23 €1.99

26.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$2.08 €1.86

-22.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$1.34 €1.20

65.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$1.76 €1.57

22.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$1.18 €1.05

26.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$1.22 €1.09

9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$0.94 €0.84

13.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$0.71 €0.63

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$5.12 €4.57

-14.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$7.80 €6.96

140.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$2.27 €2.03

-23.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.88 €2.57

-3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$1.47 €1.31

47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$67.0 €59.8

-66.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$4.51 €4.02

-33.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$1.13 €1.01

-6.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$11.08 €9.89

-66.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$2.24 €2.00

-36.16%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$28.0K €25.0K

-5.78%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$24.0K €21.5K

8.99%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$195 €174

-50.45%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$30.21 €26.96

-62.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$37.66 €33.61

-54.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$49.93 €44.56

5.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$39.72 €35.44

-72.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$9.05 €8.07

-15.47%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$410 €366

35.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$4,089 €3,649

175.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$89.0 €79.4

-28.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$42.78 €38.18

-33.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$82.6 €73.7

17.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$136 €122

-34.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$652 €582

12.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$505 €450

-9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$1,105 €986

90.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$1,005 €897

18.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$4,070 €3,632

-14.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$2,799 €2,498

-10.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$1,111 €992

-54.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.44

25.45%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Heraklion

$505 31.5% 10.2% $47

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Heraklion

$295 18.4% 10.1% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Heraklion

$263 16.4% 110% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Heraklion

$158 9.8% 26.4% $33

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Heraklion

$232 14.5% 94.3% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Heraklion

$68 4.2% 0.1% $0.1

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Heraklion

$83 5.2% 112% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $652 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heraklion pays 122% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $56.0 in Heraklion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $295 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇬🇷 Heraklion

🕒 Local time

13:21 1:21 PM

09:21 9:21 AM

4 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

140,730

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Heraklion 7,990 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Heraklion

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 Heraklion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 122% lower in Heraklion. 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: $735 in Phuket versus $652 in Heraklion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $410 in Heraklion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Heraklion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,609 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 35% less than in Heraklion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.