Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Novara Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Novara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,536 in Novara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $2,376 in Novara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $3,217 in Novara.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 18% less than in Novara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 9% below, Novara is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$17.42 €14.99

-73.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$57.7 €49.65

-43.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$10.66 €9.17

-16.51%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$1.80 €1.55

55.56%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$3.53 €3.04

-75.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$1.78 €1.53

-72.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$5.96 €5.13

-59.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$5.34 €4.60

-30.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.49 €1.28

20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.92 €1.66

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$3.02 €2.60

-47.68%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.27 €2.82

-34.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.71 €10.07

70.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$9.15 €7.87

-62.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$13.84 €11.91

-18.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.62 €2.25

12.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.70 €1.46

1.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$3.55 €3.05

-34.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.31 €1.99

-9.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$2.05 €1.76

-28.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.12 €0.96

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.02 €0.88

7.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.78 €0.67

-26.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$6.41 €5.51

-33.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$5.94 €5.11

210.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.91 €1.65

-2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.33 €2.01

25.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$1.76 €1.52

26.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$39.06 €33.61

-41.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$4.69 €4.04

-35.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$1.30 €1.12

-17.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$35.40 €30.46

-88.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$2.06 €1.77

-27.67%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$28.0K €24.1K

-2.99%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$34.6K €29.8K

-20.73%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$186 €160

-44.66%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$10.46 €9.00

5.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$31.50 €27.10

-44.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$80.1 €68.9

-33.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$19.52 €16.80

-42.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$11.70 €10.07

-36.07%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$539 €464

3.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$10.4K €8,979

13.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$129 €111

-50.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$35.29 €30.37

-17.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$58.3 €50.1

64.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$128 €110

-29.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$673 €580

8.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$454 €391

10.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$1,109 €954

88.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$819 €705

47.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$2,917 €2,510

23.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,936 €1,666

29.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$2,195 €1,889

-77.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.62

53.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Novara: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $673 in Novara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Novara pays 336% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $58.0 in Novara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $279 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 Novara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Novara differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,253 vs $1,536 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 336% lower in Novara. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $730 in Phuket versus $673 in Novara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $539 in Novara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Novara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,536 in Novara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Novara. 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 Novara 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 23% less than in Novara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.