Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Olsztyn

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,690 in Olsztyn, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Olsztyn
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Olsztyn Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Olsztyn

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,690

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Olsztyn

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Olsztyn actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,690 in Olsztyn.

Phuket $1,278
Olsztyn $1,690

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,444 in Olsztyn.

Phuket $2,216
Olsztyn $2,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,199 in Olsztyn.

Phuket $3,154
Olsztyn $3,199

Living in Phuket costs roughly 24% less than in Olsztyn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Olsztyn is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$12.81 zł 50.7

-65.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$50.3 zł 199

-35.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.13 zł 36.15

-3.50%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.45 zł 13.64

-17.97%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$2.41 zł 9.53

-63.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.88 zł 7.42

-73.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$3.01 zł 11.90

-14.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.90 zł 15.42

-5.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.02 zł 4.04

62.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.31 zł 5.20

11.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.42 zł 5.62

5.63%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.88 zł 15.37

-46.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$9.58 zł 37.90

99.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.22 zł 28.55

-54.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$14.69 zł 58.2

-25.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.18 zł 4.69

148.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.60 zł 6.33

5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.86 zł 7.37

20.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$3.50 zł 13.86

-40.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.93 zł 3.70

62.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.17 zł 4.63

17.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.34 zł 5.31

-20.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.72 zł 2.85

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.59 zł 22.13

-24.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.56 zł 29.91

148.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.12 zł 4.44

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.49 zł 5.90

90.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.00 zł 3.95

45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$25.14 zł 99.5

125.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.09 zł 8.25

44.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.73 zł 2.87

39.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$10.32 zł 40.84

-64.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.57 zł 6.23

-6.37%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$30.6K zł 121.0K

-12.41%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$29.5K zł 116.7K

-9.52%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$330 zł 1,307

-70.83%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$9.68 zł 38.29

16.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$19.33 zł 76.5

-12.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$44.06 zł 174

52.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$22.35 zł 88.4

-51.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$8.95 zł 35.43

-16.20%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$383 zł 1,517

24.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$13.9K zł 55.0K

-18.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$99.4 zł 393

-37.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$48.99 zł 194

-42.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$102 zł 404

-7.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$102 zł 406

-16.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$806 zł 3,188

-11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$627 zł 2,481

-21.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,290 zł 5,103

49.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,024 zł 4,053

39.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$3,592 zł 14.2K

16.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$2,440 zł 9,657

24.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$1,395 zł 5,522

-64.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.52

-25.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Olsztyn: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Olsztyn

$627 37.1% 27.7% $136

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Olsztyn

$237 14% 11.1% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Olsztyn

$359 21.3% 189% $235

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Olsztyn

$159 9.4% 30.3% $37

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Olsztyn

$211 12.5% 73.5% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Olsztyn

$62 3.7% 24.6% $20

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Olsztyn

$35 2.1% 50.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $806 in Olsztyn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Olsztyn pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $50 in Olsztyn. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $237, with Olsztyn cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇱 Olsztyn

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

21:29 9:29 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

174,675

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Polish Złoty PLN zł

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PLN = 0.253 USD

1 PLN = 0.227 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.96 PLN (1 PLN = 0.253 USD). 1 EUR = 4.41 PLN (1 PLN = 0.227 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Olsztyn 8,510 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Olsztyn

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Olsztyn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $806 in Olsztyn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Olsztyn pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $50 in Olsztyn. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,690 in Olsztyn, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Olsztyn. 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 Olsztyn are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Olsztyn on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.