Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rethymno Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rethymno

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,385 in Rethymno.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,096 in Rethymno.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,807 in Rethymno.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 9% less than in Rethymno, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Rethymno is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$15.03 €12.96

-69.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$58.2 €50.2

-44.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$10.63 €9.16

-18.34%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.69 €3.18

-21.41%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.71 €1.47

-50.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.55 €0.48

-10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$4.78 €4.12

-48.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$5.36 €4.62

-30.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.86 €1.61

1.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.49 €1.28

-5.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.25 €1.94

-28.00%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$4.59 €3.96

-51.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$15.24 €13.14

30.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$10.12 €8.73

-65.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$15.55 €13.41

-26.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.08 €1.80

39.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.18 €1.88

-21.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.26 €1.09

80.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.83 €1.58

16.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.03 €0.89

42.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.98 €0.84

44.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.68 €0.58

61.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.73 €0.63

-17.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.54 €3.91

-5.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.28 €5.41

196.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.84 €1.59

-2.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.90 €1.64

56.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.81 €1.56

24.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$4.62 €3.98

-32.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.17 €1.01

-7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$11.55 €9.96

-66.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$2.27 €1.96

-37.00%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$23.0K €19.8K

20.69%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$25.7K €22.1K

5.08%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$163 €141

-35.72%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$18.81 €16.21

-39.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$32.18 €27.74

-45.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$64.9 €56.0

-16.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$8.46 €7.29

-8.04%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$382 €329

50.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$4,244 €3,658

172.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$86.9 €74.9

-26.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$11.58 €9.98

151.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$45.86 €39.53

109.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$46.41 €40.00

93.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$575 €496

27.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$454 €392

10.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$916 €789

132.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$725 €625

72.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$4,304 €3,710

-17.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$3,106 €2,678

-15.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,245 €1,073

-59.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.3

29.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Rethymno: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $575 in Rethymno. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rethymno pays 145% 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 $58.0 in Rethymno for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $284 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Rethymno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 145% lower in Rethymno. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $575 in Rethymno. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $382 in Rethymno. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $58.0 in Rethymno. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,385 in Rethymno, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rethymno. 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 Rethymno, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Rethymno 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 9% less than in Rethymno. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.