Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Qrendi

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,087 in Qrendi, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Qrendi, Malta
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Qrendi
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,087
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Qrendi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,087 in Qrendi.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Qrendi $2,087

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $3,037 in Qrendi.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Qrendi $3,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,987 in Qrendi.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Qrendi $3,987

Living in Phuket costs roughly 39% less than in Qrendi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Qrendi is 53% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Qrendi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$19.32 €17.24
-76.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$88.1 €78.6
-63.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$13.56 €12.10
-35.03%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.65 €2.37
6.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.40
$3.05 €2.72
-71.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$2.22 €1.98
-77.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$4.44 €3.96
-42.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.19 €4.63
-29.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Qrendi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.34 €1.20
23.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.29
$1.34 €1.20
8.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$4.45 €3.97
-66.29%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$4.34 €3.87
-51.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$8.22 €7.33
132.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$10.36 €9.24
-68.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$18.00 €16.06
-39.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.8
$4.15 €3.70
-29.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$2.73 €2.44
-38.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$3.68 €3.29
-38.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$3.42 €3.05
-39.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.21 €1.97
-31.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.51
$1.86 €1.66
-25.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.95
$2.38 €2.13
-55.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.50
$1.35 €1.20
-61.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$6.75 €6.02
-37.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$8.25 €7.36
127.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.63 €1.45
11.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.43 €2.17
16.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Qrendi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.97
$2.14 €1.91
-32.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,911
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$5.62 €5.01
-46.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.32
$2.19 €1.96
-53.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$26.73 €23.85
-86.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.75
$1.47 €1.31
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.2K
$38.3K €34.2K
-30.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.3K
$38.9K €34.7K
-31.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Qrendi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,250
$101 €89.9
-4.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$25.62 €22.85
-56.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$43.34 €38.67
-61.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Qrendi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$54.9 €48.93
22.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$10.24 €9.14
-26.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Qrendi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$373 €333
27.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.9K
$11.0K €9,776
2.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Qrendi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,103
$86.3 €77.0
-27.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$40.24 €35.90
-29.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,180
$97.9 €87.3
-3.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,894
$79.7 €71.1
7.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Qrendi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$1,289 €1,150
-44.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$1,072 €957
-54.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,748 €1,559
10.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,508 €1,346
-5.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.8K
$3,587 €3,200
16.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$2,805 €2,503
8.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Qrendi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
2.9
92.07%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Qrendi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Qrendi
$1.1K 118% $581
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Qrendi
$327 22.8% $61
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Qrendi
$170 36.3% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Qrendi
$137 12.3% $15
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Qrendi
$281 131% $159
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Qrendi
$75 8.4% $6.9
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Qrendi
$25 * 64.4% $45

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 $716 in Phuket and $1,289 in Qrendi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $88 in Qrendi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $327 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇲🇹 Qrendi
🕒 Local time
01:15 1:15 AM
19:15 7:15 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
2,800
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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

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 Qrendi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Qrendi?
Phuket is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $3,130 in Qrendi 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Qrendi?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,289 in Qrendi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $373 in Qrendi. 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 Qrendi?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $88 in Qrendi. 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 Qrendi?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $2,087 in Qrendi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Qrendi. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Qrendi?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Qrendi?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Qrendi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?