Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Krems

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,172 in Krems, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Krems, Austria
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Krems
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,172
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Krems

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,172 in Krems, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Krems $2,172

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $3,204 in Krems, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Krems $3,204

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $4,237 in Krems, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Krems $4,237

Phuket is about 41% cheaper than Krems, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Krems is 60% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Krems
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$16.62 €14.90
-73.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$76.8 €68.9
-57.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$12.40 €11.11
-28.95%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$4.47 €4.01
-36.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.37
$3.89 €3.49
-77.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.64
$2.86 €2.56
-82.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$5.98 €5.36
-57.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.48 €4.91
-32.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Krems
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.47 €1.32
12.93%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.25
$2.26 €2.03
-35.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$1.69 €1.52
-11.24%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$3.71 €3.32
-43.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$19.42 €17.40
-1.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$8.75 €7.84
-62.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$21.13 €18.93
-48.37%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$2.77 €2.48
5.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$2.35 €2.11
-28.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$2.81 €2.52
-19.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$5.33 €4.78
-60.98%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$1.70 €1.52
-11.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.47
$2.37 €2.13
-41.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.91
$1.90 €1.70
-43.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.49
$0.75 €0.67
-30.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$7.00 €6.27
-40.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$6.71 €6.01
180.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$0.68 €0.61
167.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$1.77 €1.59
60.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Krems
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$2.42 €2.17
-40.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
$51.1 €45.81
10.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$7.03 €6.30
-57.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.29
$1.15 €1.03
-11.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$27.38 €24.54
-86.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$1.88 €1.69
-21.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.4K
$30.2K €27.0K
-11.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.5K
$33.6K €30.1K
-20.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Krems
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,247
$291 €261
-66.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$9.83 €8.80
14.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$39.58 €35.47
-57.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Krems
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,266
$40.17 €36.00
67.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
$19.77 €17.71
-45.73%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$13.21 €11.83
-43.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Krems
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$447 €401
6.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.6K
$13.7K €12.3K
-17.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Krems
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,102
$102 €91.0
-38.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$40.44 €36.24
-29.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,178
$128 €115
-26.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,892
$125 €112
-31.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Krems
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$990 €887
-27.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$885 €793
-44.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$1,579 €1,415
22.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$1,416 €1,269
1.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
$6,767 €6,064
-38.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
$5,559 €4,982
-45.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Krems
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$2,661 €2,384
-81.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.66
52.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Krems: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Krems
$885 80.2% $394
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Krems
$337 26.6% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Krems
$341 174% $216
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Krems
$178 45.8% $56
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Krems
$292 140% $170
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Krems
$67 19% $16
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Krems
$74 4.3% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $990 in Krems. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Krems are about 5.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $77 in Krems. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $337 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇦🇹 Krems
🕒 Local time
11:25 11:25 AM
05:25 5:25 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
12,500
💱 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Krems 8,820 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Krems

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 Krems: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Krems?
Krems costs about 70% 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 Krems?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,258 in Krems. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Krems?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $990 in Krems.
Are groceries more expensive in Phuket or in Krems?
Groceries cost about 27% more in Krems, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Krems?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $77 in Krems. 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 Krems?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Krems at $2,172. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Krems it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Krems?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $2,172 in Krems. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Phuket or to Krems?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Krems makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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