Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kortrijk

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,833 in Kortrijk, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Kortrijk
🇧🇪 Belgium
$1,833
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kortrijk

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,833 in Kortrijk, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Kortrijk $1,833

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $2,668 in Kortrijk, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Kortrijk $2,668

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $3,503 in Kortrijk, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Kortrijk $3,503

Phuket is about 34% cheaper than Kortrijk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Kortrijk is 36% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Kortrijk
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿154
$22.54 €20.12
-79.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,089
$72.5 €64.7
-55.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿287
$10.95 €9.77
-21.92%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.3
$2.88 €2.57
-5.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.35
$3.01 €2.69
-68.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.45
$2.67 €2.39
-81.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.9
$4.39 €3.92
-41.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$3.32 €2.96
15.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Kortrijk
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.3
$1.15 €1.03
51.30%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.98
$1.77 €1.58
-19.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.2
$1.43 €1.27
6.99%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.9
$3.06 €2.73
-29.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿642
$11.44 €10.21
67.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$8.62 €7.69
-61.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿374
$14.58 €13.01
-23.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.8
$2.07 €1.85
42.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.3
$1.91 €1.70
-12.04%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿77.1
$2.04 €1.82
12.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.5
$1.99 €1.78
7.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.3
$1.91 €1.71
-19.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.70
$1.72 €1.54
-20.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.57
$1.48 €1.32
-24.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.30
$0.81 €0.72
-32.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿143
$12.65 €11.29
-66.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿610
$7.41 €6.62
145.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.4
$2.05 €1.83
-15.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.6
$1.86 €1.66
50.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Kortrijk
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.3
$2.72 €2.43
-18.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿740
$54.6 €48.71
-59.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.6
$2.20 €1.97
32.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.91
$2.28 €2.03
-55.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$24.81 €22.14
-84.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.0
$1.82 €1.63
-18.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿894.6K
$34.0K €30.3K
-21.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿895.6K
$33.3K €29.7K
-19.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Kortrijk
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,332
$207 €184
-51.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿378
$17.70 €15.80
-36.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿582
$52.9 €47.23
-67.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Kortrijk
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,753
$51.2 €45.71
2.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿364
$13.21 €11.79
-17.87%
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿254
$14.32 €12.78
-47.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Kortrijk
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$661 €590
-15.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿385.2K
$16.1K €14.4K
-28.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Kortrijk
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,109
$56.4 €50.4
11.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿958
$26.53 €23.68
7.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,224
$87.5 €78.1
9.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,953
$100 €89.5
-12.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Kortrijk
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.5K
$835 €745
-12.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$714 €637
-35.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.3K
$1,210 €1,080
73.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿41.0K
$1,015 €906
20.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿116.0K
$4,176 €3,727
-17.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.5K
$2,243 €2,002
10.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Kortrijk
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
$2,789 €2,489
-82.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.9
42.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kortrijk: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Kortrijk
$714 55.3% $254
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Kortrijk
$262 2.1% $5.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Kortrijk
$277 117% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Kortrijk
$122 1.8% $2.2
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Kortrijk
$299 147% $178
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Kortrijk
$80 18.5% $12
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Kortrijk
$79 103% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $835 in Kortrijk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 466% higher in Kortrijk, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $73.0 in Kortrijk. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $262 in Kortrijk – so Kortrijk wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇪 Kortrijk
🕒 Local time
15:01 3:01 PM
10:01 10:01 AM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
76,700
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.53 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Kortrijk 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Kortrijk

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 Kortrijk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Kortrijk?
Kortrijk costs about 52% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Kortrijk?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $2,750 in Kortrijk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Kortrijk?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Kortrijk?
Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Kortrijk – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Kortrijk?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $73.0 in Kortrijk. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Kortrijk?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Kortrijk at $1,833. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kortrijk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Phuket or Kortrijk?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $1,833 in Kortrijk. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Phuket compared to Kortrijk?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Phuket or to Kortrijk?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Kortrijk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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