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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,690 in Lipari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,575 in Lipari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,460 in Lipari.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 25% less than in Lipari, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Lipari is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$17.45 €15.03

-73.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$75.0 €64.6

-37.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$11.61 €10.00

-27.05%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.92 €1.65

57.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.94 €2.53

-76.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.37 €1.18

-72.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$5.84 €5.03

-57.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.16 €4.44

-29.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.63 €1.40

33.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.24 €1.93

-15.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.76 €2.38

-20.29%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.98 €3.43

-44.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$16.04 €13.82

24.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$12.51 €10.78

-70.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$19.30 €16.63

-31.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.36 €2.03

36.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.01 €1.73

-15.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$2.68 €2.31

-10.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.25 €2.80

-36.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.83 €1.58

-13.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.76 €1.51

-15.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.50 €1.29

-31.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.49 €0.42

6.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.85 €5.90

-37.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.45 €6.42

152.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.71 €1.47

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.51 €2.16

9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.72 €1.48

-20.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$43.06 €37.10

-73.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$5.62 €4.84

-44.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.59 €1.37

-34.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$35.27 €30.39

-60.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$2.02 €1.74

-33.66%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$32.0K €27.5K

-13.40%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$32.9K €28.4K

2.87%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$219 €189

-43.51%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$12.95 €11.16

4.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$31.00 €26.71

-39.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$54.8 €47.24

12.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$23.04 €19.85

-25.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$10.58 €9.12

-13.61%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$547 €471

28.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,164 €7,034

94.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$87.4 €75.3

-32.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$37.37 €32.20

-6.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$90.1 €77.6

27.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$126 €109

-33.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$759 €654

-18.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$575 €495

-24.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,224 €1,055

68.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$930 €801

62.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$3,064 €2,640

18.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$2,326 €2,004

12.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lipari: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $759 in Lipari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $75.0 in Lipari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,690 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $2,536 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: $619 in Phuket versus $759 in Lipari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Phuket versus $1,690 in Lipari – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 279% less than in Lipari. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,690 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 34% less than in Lipari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.