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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $986 in Karabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,489 in Karabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,992 in Karabuk.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than in Karabuk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Karabuk 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.16 ₺339

-37.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$22.10 ₺1,047

106.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.38 ₺397

4.53%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.80 ₺133

6.07%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.24 ₺58.9

-44.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.78 ₺36.84

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.60 ₺123

-2.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.17 ₺103

72.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.72 ₺34.32

198.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.37 ₺17.48

391.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$2.15 ₺102

1.40%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$3.31 ₺157

-32.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$7.77 ₺368

157.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.38 ₺302

-43.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$12.76 ₺604

6.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.00 ₺47.27

224.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.50 ₺71.0

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.79 ₺37.50

194.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.99 ₺47.02

109.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.73 ₺34.50

112.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.71 ₺33.77

105.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.52 ₺24.63

88.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.36 ₺17.14

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.03 ₺96.2

114.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$5.19 ₺246

257.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$2.05 ₺97.1

-9.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.60 ₺123

1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.64 ₺30.29

121.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$30.52 ₺1,445

-62.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$0.77 ₺36.68

311.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.62 ₺29.26

66.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$7.83 ₺371

77.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.17 ₺55.2

14.53%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$35.2K ₺1.7M

-21.13%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$37.7K ₺1.8M

-11.40%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$89.7 ₺4,248

37.21%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$6.45 ₺305

113.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$12.49 ₺592

46.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$42.79 ₺2,027

41.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$7.79 ₺369

120.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$4.98 ₺236

78.11%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$309 ₺14.6K

122.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$8,733 ₺413.6K

80.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$25.54 ₺1,210

132.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$35.74 ₺1,693

-2.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$51.7 ₺2,450

122.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$50.5 ₺2,392

65.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$523 ₺24.8K

18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$386 ₺18.3K

15.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$898 ₺42.5K

126.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$700 ₺33.2K

113.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,672 ₺79.2K

106.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$622 ₺29.5K

307.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,256 ₺59.5K

-60.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-86.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Karabuk: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $523 in Karabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karabuk pays 154% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Karabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $184 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 28% 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 154% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $523 in Karabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karabuk – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $986 in Karabuk versus $1,264 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 $986 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 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.