Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lipari Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lipari

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,689 in Lipari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,587 in Lipari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,484 in Lipari.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in Lipari, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Lipari is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$17.28 €14.79

-73.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$74.3 €63.6

-36.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$11.52 €9.86

-23.26%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.90 €1.63

57.89%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$3.07 €2.63

-75.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.36 €1.16

-72.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$5.62 €4.81

-56.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$5.16 €4.42

-30.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.62 €1.39

39.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.17 €1.86

-15.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.80 €2.40

-20.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$4.08 €3.49

-43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$16.13 €13.80

21.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$12.19 €10.43

-70.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$19.55 €16.73

-32.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.47 €2.12

37.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.99 €1.71

-17.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.65 €2.27

-9.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.15 €2.70

-35.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.81 €1.55

-13.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.77 €1.51

-15.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.50 €1.28

-32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.49 €0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.86 €5.87

-35.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.99 €6.84

136.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.72 €1.47

3.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.43 €2.08

13.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.70 €1.45

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$43.37 €37.13

-73.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$5.93 €5.07

-47.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.58 €1.36

-36.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$34.78 €29.77

-59.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.02 €1.73

-33.17%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$32.6K €27.9K

-16.50%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.3K €28.5K

-1.23%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$222 €190

-43.61%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.21 €11.30

2.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$31.24 €26.75

-40.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$54.1 €46.29

13.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$23.05 €19.73

-26.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$10.55 €9.03

-12.89%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$564 €483

23.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$7,887 €6,751

97.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$87.9 €75.3

-34.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$38.64 €33.08

-8.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$92.4 €79.1

22.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$127 €109

-32.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$740 €633

-16.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$585 €501

-23.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,195 €1,023

71.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$922 €789

61.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,070 €2,628

23.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,096 €1,794

26.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.45

19.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lipari: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $740 in Lipari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Lipari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $334 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Lipari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Lipari differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,689 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,534 in Lipari 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $740 in Lipari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,689 in Lipari – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 278% less than in Lipari. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,689 in Lipari, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lipari. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Lipari 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 37% less than in Lipari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.