Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kapfenberg

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,239 in Kapfenberg, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Kapfenberg, Austria
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Kapfenberg
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,239
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kapfenberg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,239 in Kapfenberg.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Kapfenberg $2,239

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,243 in Kapfenberg.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Kapfenberg $3,243

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $4,246 in Kapfenberg.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Kapfenberg $4,246

Living in Phuket costs roughly 43% less than in Kapfenberg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Kapfenberg is 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kapfenberg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$17.93 €16.06
-75.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$78.2 €70.0
-58.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$13.38 €11.98
-34.16%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$4.55 €4.07
-37.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$3.30 €2.95
-73.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$2.66 €2.39
-81.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$5.46 €4.89
-53.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.11 €4.57
-27.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kapfenberg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.50 €1.34
10.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$2.01 €1.80
-27.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.50 €1.34
-
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$4.88 €4.37
-57.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$12.05 €10.79
58.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$12.75 €11.42
-74.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$23.97 €21.47
-54.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$2.34 €2.09
25.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$2.08 €1.86
-18.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.23 €2.00
0.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$2.70 €2.42
-22.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.76 €1.57
-14.20%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$1.56 €1.40
-11.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$1.35 €1.21
-20.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.47 €0.42
10.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$7.47 €6.69
-43.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$5.40 €4.83
247.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.30 €1.17
40.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$1.00 €0.89
184.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kapfenberg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$2.89 €2.59
-49.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$54.2 €48.57
4.48%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$4.94 €4.42
-38.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$2.86 €2.56
-64.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$39.63 €35.50
-90.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.89 €1.70
-22.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$30.2K €27.0K
-11.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$27.3K €24.5K
-2.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kapfenberg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$409 €366
-76.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$18.54 €16.60
-39.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$40.31 €36.10
-58.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kapfenberg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$38.36 €34.35
75.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$25.41 €22.75
-57.77%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$11.31 €10.13
-33.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kapfenberg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$197 €176
142.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$8,129 €7,281
38.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kapfenberg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$90.6 €81.1
-31.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$24.57 €22.00
15.63%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$88.2 €79.0
6.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$65.3 €58.5
31.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kapfenberg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$1,007 €902
-28.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$887 €795
-44.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,590 €1,424
21.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,409 €1,262
1.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$6,864 €6,147
-39.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$5,955 €5,333
-48.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kapfenberg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.41
63.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kapfenberg: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Kapfenberg
$887 80.7% $396
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Kapfenberg
$318 19.3% $51
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Kapfenberg
$468 276% $343
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Kapfenberg
$121 0.8% $1
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Kapfenberg
$299 146% $178
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Kapfenberg
$61 25.8% $21
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Kapfenberg
$85 20.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,007 in Kapfenberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $78 in Kapfenberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $318 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇦🇹 Kapfenberg
🕒 Local time
19:41 7:41 PM
13:41 1:41 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
23,004
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Kapfenberg 8,840 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Kapfenberg

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 Kapfenberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Kapfenberg?
Phuket is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $3,359 in Kapfenberg to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Kapfenberg?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,007 in Kapfenberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $197 in Kapfenberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Kapfenberg?
Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Kapfenberg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Kapfenberg?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,239 in Kapfenberg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kapfenberg. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Kapfenberg?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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