Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Passau

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,528 in Passau, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Passau
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,528
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Passau

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 Passau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,528 in Passau.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Passau $1,528

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,563 in Passau.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Passau $2,563

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $3,598 in Passau.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Passau $3,598

Living in Phuket costs roughly 21% less than in Passau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Passau is 13% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Passau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿153
$16.77 €14.92
-72.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,086
$61.2 €54.4
-46.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿286
$11.91 €10.60
-28.21%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.0
$3.78 €3.36
-28.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.25
$3.55 €3.16
-73.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.39
$3.09 €2.75
-84.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$4.32 €3.84
-40.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$4.91 €4.37
-22.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Passau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$1.17 €1.04
48.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.82
$2.06 €1.83
-30.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.0
$3.17 €2.82
-51.74%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$3.71 €3.30
-41.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿640
$14.16 €12.60
35.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿110
$16.10 €14.32
-79.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿372
$20.62 €18.34
-45.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.5
$2.89 €2.57
2.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.1
$1.75 €1.55
-4.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿76.8
$2.05 €1.82
12.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$4.69 €4.17
-54.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$1.44 €1.28
6.25%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.55
$1.59 €1.42
-14.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.44
$1.75 €1.55
-36.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$1.01 €0.90
-45.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$9.13 €8.12
-53.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿608
$5.67 €5.04
220.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$1.05 €0.93
65.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.3
$1.73 €1.54
61.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Passau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.1
$2.75 €2.45
-19.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿737
$66.0 €58.7
-66.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.3
$4.46 €3.96
-34.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.79
$2.43 €2.16
-58.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$40.49 €36.01
-90.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.85
$1.88 €1.67
-20.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿891.6K
$33.0K €29.4K
-19.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿892.7K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Passau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,321
$262 €233
-62.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿377
$16.19 €14.40
-30.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿580
$53.5 €47.63
-67.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Passau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,747
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿253
$12.10 €10.77
-37.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Passau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$692 €616
-19.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿383.9K
$18.7K €16.6K
-38.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Passau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,102
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿955
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,213
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,943
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Passau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
$674 €599
8.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$457 €407
0.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.0K
$1,662 €1,479
26.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿40.8K
$1,330 €1,183
-8.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Passau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
$3,438 €3,058
-85.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.98
39.95%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Passau: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Passau
$457 0.6% $3
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Passau
$348 30% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Passau
$332 159% $204
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Passau
- * 100%
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Passau
$273 125% $152
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Passau
$24 * 64.1% $43
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Passau
$94 141% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $674 in Passau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Passau pays 597% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $61.0 in Passau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $348 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇩🇪 Passau
🕒 Local time
09:09 9:09 AM
04:09 4:09 AM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
54,401
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Passau 8,980 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Passau

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 Passau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and in Passau?
Phuket and Passau differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,207 vs $1,528 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 597% lower in Passau. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Passau?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $674 in Passau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $61.0 in Passau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Passau?
All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $1,528 in Passau – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,528 in Passau, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Passau. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Passau?
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.
Is Phuket or Passau safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Passau are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Passau?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Passau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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