Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kaunas Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kaunas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,525 in Kaunas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $2,271 in Kaunas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $3,017 in Kaunas.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 20% less than in Kaunas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Kaunas is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$11.60 €9.99

-61.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$64.1 €55.2

-27.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$9.48 €8.16

-10.44%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$3.50 €3.01

-12.00%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$2.24 €1.93

-69.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.76 €1.52

-79.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$5.13 €4.41

-52.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$4.40 €3.79

-17.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.44 €1.24

52.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.86 €1.60

-2.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$2.41 €2.07

-7.47%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.82 €2.43

-20.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$10.75 €9.26

82.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$7.99 €6.88

-53.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$12.05 €10.38

11.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.14 €0.99

194.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.32 €1.13

22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$2.21 €1.90

9.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$3.60 €3.10

-44.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.02 €0.88

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.11 €0.95

30.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.73 €1.49

-41.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.00 €0.86

-52.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$5.74 €4.94

-25.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$10.04 €8.65

90.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.65 €1.42

11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$2.25 €1.94

21.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.95 €0.82

49.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$32.05 €27.60

-63.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.97 €2.56

1.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.01 €0.87

3.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$9.29 €8.00

49.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.65 €1.42

-21.82%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$38.7K €33.3K

-27.59%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$32.3K €27.8K

3.79%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$265 €228

-53.89%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$15.86 €13.66

-12.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$16.52 €14.22

14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$40.06 €34.50

52.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$22.97 €19.78

-26.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$9.73 €8.38

-8.63%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$643 €554

7.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$7,586 €6,532

113.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$83.8 €72.2

-31.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$48.55 €41.81

-27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$98.0 €84.4

15.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$116 €100

-28.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$734 €632

-17.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$526 €453

-14.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$1,197 €1,030

69.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$761 €655

96.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$3,767 €3,244

-4.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$2,420 €2,084

6.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$1,703 €1,466

-70.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.5

18.44%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Kaunas: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $734 in Kaunas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaunas pays 237% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $64.0 in Kaunas. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $260, with Kaunas 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 Kaunas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Kaunas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kaunas earns 237% less. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $734 in Kaunas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $64.0 in Kaunas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,223 per month in Phuket versus $1,525 in Kaunas – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,525 in Kaunas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Kaunas. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kaunas 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Kaunas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.