Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qormi

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,879 in Qormi, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Qormi
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,879
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Qormi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,879 in Qormi.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Qormi $1,879

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $2,657 in Qormi.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Qormi $2,657

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $3,436 in Qormi.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Qormi $3,436

Living in Phuket costs roughly 36% less than in Qormi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Qormi is 39% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Qormi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$16.70 €14.86
-73.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$89.0 €79.1
-63.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$13.18 €11.73
-33.54%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$2.08 €1.85
36.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$2.17 €1.93
-58.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$1.41 €1.25
-66.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$3.39 €3.01
-24.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$3.54 €3.15
8.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Qormi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.30 €1.16
33.08%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$0.58 €0.52
153.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$3.40 €3.02
-55.59%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$3.77 €3.35
-42.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$10.40 €9.25
89.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$4.57 €4.06
-26.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$17.81 €15.84
-37.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$3.32 €2.95
-14.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$2.79 €2.48
-39.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$3.82 €3.40
-42.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$3.29 €2.93
-37.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$1.94 €1.73
-25.26%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$1.70 €1.51
-18.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$2.27 €2.02
-52.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.75 €0.67
-32.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$6.41 €5.70
-33.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$4.52 €4.02
311.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$1.65 €1.47
7.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$2.38 €2.11
19.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Qormi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$2.71 €2.41
-16.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$3.85 €3.42
-21.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$1.78 €1.58
-40.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$32.49 €28.90
-88.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$1.47 €1.31
-1.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$28.3K €25.2K
-6.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$39.3K €35.0K
-31.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Qormi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$118 €105
-18.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$20.38 €18.13
-45.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$28.81 €25.63
-40.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Qormi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$61.4 €54.6
-15.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$11.30 €10.05
-30.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Qormi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$273 €242
104.01%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$12.2K €10.9K
-5.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Qormi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$57.1 €50.8
12.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$68.8 €61.2
-58.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$88.9 €79.0
7.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$128 €114
-31.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Qormi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$1,123 €999
-34.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$944 €840
-51.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$1,584 €1,409
32.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$1,120 €996
7.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$4,036 €3,590
-13.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$2,843 €2,529
-11.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Qormi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
$1,566 €1,393
-68.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.05
37.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Qormi: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Qormi
$944 104% $482
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Qormi
$269 0.3% $0.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Qormi
$167 34.4% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Qormi
$154 24% $30
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Qormi
$236 95% $115
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Qormi
$84 23.9% $16
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Qormi
$24 * 40.2% $16

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 $737 in Phuket and $1,123 in Qormi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Qormi pays 213% 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 $89.0 in Qormi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇲🇹 Qormi
🕒 Local time
06:29 6:29 AM
01:29 1:29 AM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
16,779
💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Qormi 8,950 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Qormi

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 Qormi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Qormi cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Qormi?
On paper, salaries run 213% lower in Qormi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Qormi?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $1,123 in Qormi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $273 in Qormi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Qormi?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $89.0 in Qormi. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Qormi?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,879 in Qormi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Qormi. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Qormi more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Qormi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Qormi?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Qormi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Qormi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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