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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $705 in Kalush, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,068 in Kalush, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $1,430 in Kalush, rent included.

Phuket costs about 79% more than Kalush, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Kalush are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Kalush 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.21 ₴322

-37.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$24.14 ₴1,079

88.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.71 ₴255

53.42%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.11 ₴49.44

167.57%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.60 ₴26.97

15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.40 ₴17.85

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$0.94 ₴42.06

169.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.45 ₴64.7

158.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.08 ₴48.34

99.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.63 ₴28.26

188.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.30 ₴58.1

67.69%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.57 ₴70.0

43.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.15 ₴364

145.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.86 ₴172

-5.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$6.37 ₴284

112.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$0.80 ₴35.89

305.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.53 ₴68.2

7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.64 ₴73.1

42.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.04 ₴91.0

1.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.66 ₴29.39

134.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.53 ₴23.83

175.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.24 ₴55.4

-20.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.49 ₴21.88

-2.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.49 ₴111

74.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.57 ₴204

306.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.78 ₴34.89

138.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.29 ₴57.8

105.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.35 ₴15.44

305.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.84 ₴82.2

72.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.25 ₴11.26

312.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$2.85 ₴128

387.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.38 ₴61.5

-2.90%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$30.6K ₴1.4M

-9.06%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$24.3K ₴1.1M

37.16%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$86.3 ₴3,855

42.67%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$5.24 ₴234

162.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$5.99 ₴268

206.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$24.35 ₴1,088

149.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$9.85 ₴440

74.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.79 ₴169

134.04%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$276 ₴12.3K

149.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,452 ₴154.3K

357.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$49.00 ₴2,190

21.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$34.12 ₴1,525

1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$77.1 ₴3,447

49.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$90.0 ₴4,023

-6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$267 ₴11.9K

132.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$199 ₴8,909

123.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$444 ₴19.8K

358.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$309 ₴13.8K

383.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,053 ₴47.0K

228.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$780 ₴34.8K

224.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$270 ₴12.0K

83.15%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kalush: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $267 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 83% 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $24.00 in Kalush. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 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 79%, 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 $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,058 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 $1,264 in Phuket and $705 in Kalush. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $688 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 $705, than in Phuket at $1,264. 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.