Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Novelda Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Novelda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,700 in Novelda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,513 in Novelda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,327 in Novelda.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 28% less than in Novelda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Novelda is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$17.55 €15.27

-74.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$57.3 €49.86

-43.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$11.65 €10.14

-23.35%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.30 €2.00

26.09%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$2.07 €1.81

-57.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$1.45 €1.26

-66.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$3.15 €2.74

-25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.44 €3.00

8.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.16 €1.01

61.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.45 €1.26

1.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.53 €1.33

1.31%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$3.31 €2.88

-36.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$16.34 €14.22

19.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$9.67 €8.42

-64.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$17.00 €14.80

-33.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.98 €2.59

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.94 €1.69

-13.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.52 €1.32

45.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$2.80 €2.43

-22.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$2.01 €1.75

-24.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.98 €1.72

-32.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.24 €1.08

-8.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.69 €0.60

-20.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.50 €5.66

-34.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$5.84 €5.08

226.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.24 €1.08

43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.78 €1.55

56.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.65 €1.43

35.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$34.54 €30.07

-34.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.19 €2.78

-5.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$1.38 €1.20

-26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$17.68 €15.39

-78.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.78 €1.55

-16.29%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$36.2K €31.5K

-26.64%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$30.1K €26.2K

-10.17%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$134 €117

-23.75%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$16.79 €14.61

-32.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$31.65 €27.54

-45.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$46.60 €40.56

11.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$16.73 €14.56

-33.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$9.86 €8.59

-22.01%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$415 €361

35.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$7,359 €6,405

56.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$76.5 €66.6

-17.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$37.43 €32.58

-21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$107 €93.4

-8.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$109 €94.5

-18.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$935 €814

-21.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$695 €605

-30.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$1,382 €1,203

52.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$1,032 €898

18.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$3,489 €3,037

3.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$2,298 €2,000

13.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.99

86.29%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Novelda: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $935 in Novelda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $57.0 in Novelda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $285 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 Novelda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Novelda differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,700 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 $2,550 in Novelda 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: $738 in Phuket versus $935 in Novelda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 52% less than in Novelda. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $415 in Novelda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,700 in Novelda, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Novelda. 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 Novelda 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 38% less than in Novelda. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.