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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,574 in Novelda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,347 in Novelda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,120 in Novelda.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 20% less than in Novelda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Novelda is 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$15.07 €13.05

-70.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$57.2 €49.53

-20.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$10.45 €9.05

-16.17%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.07 €1.80

43.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.38 €2.06

-71.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.55 €1.34

-74.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.86 €2.48

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.45 €2.98

8.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.16 €1.01

85.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.37 €1.19

32.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.53 €1.33

42.48%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.97 €2.58

-24.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$11.47 €9.93

74.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$9.44 €8.17

-61.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$14.73 €12.75

-7.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.71 €2.35

19.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.80 €1.56

-8.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.44 €1.25

61.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.36 €2.04

-12.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.81 €1.57

-14.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.67 €1.45

-12.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.18 €1.02

-16.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.71 €0.62

-32.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$6.84 €5.93

-36.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.68 €4.05

296.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.19 €1.03

56.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.81 €1.57

46.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.67 €1.44

-14.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$33.48 €28.99

-65.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.64 €1.42

93.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.26 €1.09

-18.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$17.28 €14.97

-19.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.74 €1.50

-22.99%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$34.4K €29.8K

-19.17%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$30.0K €26.0K

11.22%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$127 €110

-3.19%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$13.42 €11.62

2.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$31.56 €27.33

-41.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$48.45 €41.96

25.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$15.01 €13.00

14.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$9.69 €8.39

-8.46%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$598 €518

14.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$10.7K €9,263

47.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$69.5 €60.2

-14.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$31.21 €27.03

11.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$98.7 €85.5

16.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$107 €92.5

-21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$855 €740

-27.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$689 €596

-35.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,298 €1,124

56.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,002 €868

49.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$3,402 €2,946

1.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$2,206 €1,910

14.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.44

54.94%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Novelda: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $855 in Novelda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $57.0 in Novelda. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $252, with Novelda cheaper for home cooking.

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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $1,574 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $2,361 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: $621 in Phuket versus $855 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 189% less than in Novelda. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $598 in Novelda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,574 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 25% less than in Novelda. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.