Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Karabuk Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Karabuk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $689 in Karabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,073 in Karabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,456 in Karabuk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 84% more expensive than in Karabuk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Karabuk 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$8.34 ₺405

-44.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$25.22 ₺1,225

27.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$8.19 ₺398

5.98%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.52 ₺171

-17.61%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.10 ₺53.2

-23.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.35 ₺16.90

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.69 ₺82.1

46.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.93 ₺142

27.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$0.89 ₺42.98

112.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$0.30 ₺14.39

370.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.69 ₺131

-39.78%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.77 ₺134

-19.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$6.02 ₺292

229.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.20 ₺204

-17.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.46 ₺508

8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.42 ₺69.2

104.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.77 ₺86.1

-2.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$0.74 ₺35.85

206.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.81 ₺39.40

162.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.51 ₺24.66

188.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.44 ₺21.22

222.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.43 ₺20.87

155.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.32 ₺15.67

87.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$1.90 ₺92.3

126.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.10 ₺247

264.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.68 ₺81.5

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.10 ₺102

41.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.61 ₺29.44

268.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$0.64 ₺31.20

384.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.95 ₺46.30

13.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.12 ₺54.3

27.68%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$41.4K ₺2.0M

-32.88%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$39.6K ₺1.9M

-31.87%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$79.2 ₺3,846

32.31%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$5.17 ₺251

120.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$10.49 ₺509

67.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$17.77 ₺863

205.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$6.04 ₺293

89.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.21 ₺204

84.80%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$462 ₺22.4K

24.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$6,273 ₺304.6K

84.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$20.30 ₺985

213.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$28.45 ₺1,382

2.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$40.92 ₺1,987

135.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$41.95 ₺2,037

114.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$263 ₺12.8K

178.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$175 ₺8,503

185.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$470 ₺22.8K

351.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$338 ₺16.4K

270.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,657 ₺80.5K

113.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$615 ₺29.9K

326.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,245 ₺60.4K

-59.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-86.41%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Karabuk: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $263 in Karabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karabuk pays 145% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Karabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $160 per month, with Karabuk 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 Karabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karabuk wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karabuk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 145% lower in Karabuk. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $263 in Karabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $689 in Karabuk – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $689 in Karabuk versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Karabuk but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Karabuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Karabuk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $689 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Karabuk hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Karabuk 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 Karabuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.