Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalush Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kalush

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $687 in Kalush, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,043 in Kalush, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,400 in Kalush, rent included.

Phuket costs about 84% more than Kalush, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Kalush are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Kalush 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$7.24 ₴325

-37.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$24.65 ₴1,107

89.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.65 ₴254

49.91%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.14 ₴51.3

165.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.60 ₴26.79

15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.41 ₴18.33

-9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.03 ₴46.16

141.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.50 ₴67.3

144.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.04 ₴46.82

109.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.61 ₴27.28

211.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.31 ₴58.8

67.94%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.53 ₴68.9

45.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.23 ₴370

142.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.97 ₴178

-7.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.56 ₴295

101.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$0.83 ₴37.18

289.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.47 ₴65.8

15.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.58 ₴70.8

51.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.02 ₴90.7

2.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.61 ₴27.44

160.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.54 ₴24.09

174.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.25 ₴56.1

-17.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.50 ₴22.32

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.58 ₴116

64.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$4.38 ₴197

329.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.84 ₴37.96

109.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.34 ₴60.2

105.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.35 ₴15.51

288.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.77 ₴79.6

77.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.23 ₴10.30

352.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$2.89 ₴130

376.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.34 ₴60.1

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$30.9K ₴1.4M

-10.45%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$24.4K ₴1.1M

38.77%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$84.7 ₴3,805

45.91%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$5.27 ₴237

156.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$6.01 ₴270

210.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$24.30 ₴1,092

154.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$9.68 ₴435

78.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.68 ₴165

148.37%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$276 ₴12.4K

154.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$3,497 ₴157.1K

353.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$48.70 ₴2,188

22.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$33.31 ₴1,497

5.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$78.8 ₴3,538

46.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$88.0 ₴3,952

-4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$269 ₴12.1K

130.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$199 ₴8,930

117.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$436 ₴19.6K

373.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$313 ₴14.1K

382.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,024 ₴46.0K

256.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$770 ₴34.6K

240.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$270 ₴12.1K

87.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.17

-67.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kalush: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $269 in Kalush. 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 88% higher in Phuket, 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $25.00 in Kalush. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $151 – making Kalush the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Kalush: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 84%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,030 in Kalush. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kalush, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Phuket and $687 in Kalush. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $703 per month in Phuket and $276 in Kalush. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kalush, where all-in costs run around $687, than in Phuket at $1,261. In Kalush it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kalush – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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