Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pula Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,444 in Pula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,386 in Pula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,328 in Pula.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 13% less than in Pula, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Pula is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$13.77 €12.04

-66.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$74.6 €65.3

-38.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$9.05 €7.92

-2.32%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.43 €2.13

25.93%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$3.25 €2.84

-77.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$2.04 €1.79

-80.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.52 €3.08

-30.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.95 €4.33

-23.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.54 €1.35

46.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.68 €1.47

7.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.59 €3.14

-37.33%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$4.23 €3.70

-46.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.45 €9.15

86.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$8.81 €7.71

-58.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.89 €9.53

19.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.01 €1.76

60.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.62 €1.42

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$2.16 €1.89

10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$3.41 €2.98

-40.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.46 €1.28

4.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.90 €0.79

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.41 €1.24

-30.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.36 €1.19

-61.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.31 €4.65

-16.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.49 €6.55

144.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.79 €1.57

3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.65 €2.32

1.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$2.26 €1.98

-37.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$34.98 €30.60

-66.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.15 €2.76

-1.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.01 €0.89

2.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$8.81 €7.71

60.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.78 €1.56

-26.40%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$38.8K €33.9K

-28.27%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.6K €24.1K

20.54%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$130 €113

-5.60%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$23.58 €20.63

-42.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$32.73 €28.64

-42.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$58.9 €51.5

2.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$40.62 €35.54

-58.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$16.05 €14.05

-43.49%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$246 €215

186.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$2,283 €1,998

592.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$93.7 €82.0

-37.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$38.59 €33.76

-8.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$167 €146

-30.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$114 €99.4

-26.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$662 €579

-5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$447 €391

-0.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,180 €1,032

72.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$895 €783

66.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$4,199 €3,674

-17.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$3,460 €3,027

-25.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,520 €1,330

-67.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.22

26.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Pula: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $662 in Pula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pula pays 204% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $75.0 in Pula. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $274, with Pula 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 Pula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 204% lower in Pula. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $662 in Pula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $246 in Pula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Pula pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,444 in Pula, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pula. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Pula, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pula 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 15% less than in Pula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.