Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lugavcina Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lugavcina

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,036 in Lugavcina, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Phuket vs $1,476 in Lugavcina, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,279 per month in Phuket vs $1,917 in Lugavcina, rent included.

Phuket costs about 19% more than Lugavcina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Lugavcina are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Lugavcina 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.10 RSD 712

-34.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.92 RSD 2,700

74.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.97 RSD 1,000

-11.33%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.97 RSD 198

52.28%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.89 RSD 189

-60.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.23 RSD 123

-69.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.42 RSD 243

0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.89 RSD 290

24.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.29 RSD 129

75.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.67 RSD 66.8

174.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.26 RSD 126

77.78%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.76 RSD 176

31.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.73 RSD 675

192.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.87 RSD 689

-46.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.75 RSD 1,179

11.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$0.82 RSD 82.4

313.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.65 RSD 166

-0.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.50 RSD 151

60.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.81 RSD 181

12.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.81 RSD 81.1

92.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.09 RSD 109

37.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.55 RSD 55.3

85.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.61 RSD 60.8

-19.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.10 RSD 411

8.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.02 RSD 704

168.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.73 RSD 73.3

143.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.05 RSD 205

34.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.92 RSD 92.1

52.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$27.91 RSD 2,800

-58.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.44 RSD 145

116.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.45 RSD 45.46

122.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.87 RSD 689

105.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.75 RSD 175

-22.86%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$30.3K RSD 3.0M

-10.26%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.5K RSD 2.8M

19.88%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$140 RSD 14.1K

-10.92%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$16.64 RSD 1,670

-18.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$16.60 RSD 1,666

11.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$30.41 RSD 3,051

102.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$16.27 RSD 1,633

3.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.92 RSD 494

86.79%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$234 RSD 23.5K

198.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,052 RSD 506.8K

208.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$91.4 RSD 9,166

-36.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$46.10 RSD 4,625

-23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$93.6 RSD 9,386

20.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$103 RSD 10.3K

-16.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$380 RSD 38.1K

62.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$291 RSD 29.2K

53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$555 RSD 55.7K

268.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$419 RSD 42.0K

256.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,848 RSD 185.4K

104.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,552 RSD 155.7K

70.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.45

-28.46%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lugavcina: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $616 in Phuket versus $380 in Lugavcina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $27.00 in Lugavcina. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $186 – making Lugavcina the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Lugavcina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 19% more than Lugavcina, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,847 per month in Phuket and $1,554 in Lugavcina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lugavcina, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $698 per month in Phuket and $234 in Lugavcina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Lugavcina, where all-in costs run around $1,036, than in Phuket at $1,232. In Lugavcina it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lugavcina costs $1,036 versus $1,232 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Lugavcina. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.