Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Karlovac Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Karlovac

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,254 in Karlovac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,865 in Karlovac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,476 in Karlovac.

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Karlovac; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Karlovac 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$12.65 €11.07

-64.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$46.88 €41.02

-1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$8.13 €7.11

8.73%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.99 €1.74

53.77%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$2.44 €2.14

-70.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$1.38 €1.20

-71.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.29 €2.00

6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.26 €1.98

67.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.14 €0.99

98.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.17 €1.02

54.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.86 €1.63

20.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$3.57 €3.13

-36.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.71 €8.50

100.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$11.80 €10.32

-69.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$14.05 €12.30

-7.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.78 €1.56

81.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.05 €1.80

-20.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.76 €1.54

35.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$2.01 €1.76

1.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.64 €1.43

-6.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.01 €0.89

48.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.72 €1.50

-43.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.06 €0.93

-50.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.62 €4.91

-21.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.03 €6.15

160.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.71 €1.50

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.67 €2.33

0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$1.77 €1.55

-20.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$42.29 €37.00

-72.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.04 €2.66

2.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.32 €1.16

-21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$8.72 €7.63

61.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.76 €1.54

-25.57%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$36.6K €32.0K

-24.01%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.3K €23.0K

26.52%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$187 €164

-34.67%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$23.15 €20.25

-41.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$32.87 €28.76

-43.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$34.33 €30.04

76.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$14.93 €13.06

13.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.42 €5.62

41.28%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$238 €208

197.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$1,385 €1,212

1041.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$104 €90.9

-43.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$34.79 €30.44

1.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$69.3 €60.7

66.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$74.9 €65.5

11.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$426 €373

46.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$334 €293

33.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$639 €559

219.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$480 €420

210.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,897 €2,534

20.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,475 €2,166

4.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,387 €1,214

-63.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.47

19.24%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Karlovac: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $426 in Karlovac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlovac pays 178% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Karlovac. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $268, with Karlovac cheaper for home cooking.

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 Karlovac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 178% lower in Karlovac. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $426 in Karlovac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 261% less than in Karlovac. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Karlovac pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,254 in Karlovac, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Karlovac. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Karlovac, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Karlovac are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Karlovac on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.