Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Kuldiga

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuldiga: $260 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Kuldiga

🇱🇻 Latvia

$260

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Kuldiga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $260 in Kuldiga.

Phuket $1,278
Kuldiga $260

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $575 in Kuldiga.

Phuket $2,216
Kuldiga $575

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $889 in Kuldiga.

Phuket $3,154
Kuldiga $889

Living in Phuket is roughly 392% more expensive than in Kuldiga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Kuldiga 81% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$11.34 €10.19

-60.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$66.6 €59.8

-51.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.07 €3.66

116.46%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.29 €2.96

-13.98%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.73 €2.45

-68.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.10 €0.98

-55.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$4.94 €4.44

-48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.44 €4.88

-32.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.59 €1.43

4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.38 €1.24

5.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.59 €2.33

-19.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$0.90 €0.81

225.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.37 €1.23

23.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.27 €2.04

-8.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.47 €0.42

221.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$0.47 €0.42

193.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kuldiga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Kuldiga

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Kuldiga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Kuldiga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kuldiga

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Kuldiga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Kuldiga

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Kuldiga

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $67 in Kuldiga. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $66, with Kuldiga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇱🇻 Kuldiga

🕒 Local time

05:11 5:11 AM

00:11 12:11 AM

5 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

12,494

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Kuldiga 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Kuldiga

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 Kuldiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuldiga wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kuldiga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $390 in Kuldiga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $260 in Kuldiga – Kuldiga is about 80% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 301% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $260 in Kuldiga versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Kuldiga but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Kuldiga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Kuldiga are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.