Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $4,040 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $33,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,040

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Reykjavik

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $4,040 in Reykjavik.

Phuket $1,278
Reykjavik $4,040

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $5,742 in Reykjavik.

Phuket $2,216
Reykjavik $5,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $7,445 in Reykjavik.

Phuket $3,154
Reykjavik $7,445

Living in Phuket costs roughly 68% less than in Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Reykjavik is 197% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$31.42 ISK 3,815

-85.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$125 ISK 15.2K

-74.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$27.18 ISK 3,300

-67.59%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$6.65 ISK 807

-57.44%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$3.41 ISK 414

-74.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$3.04 ISK 369

-83.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$14.18 ISK 1,721

-81.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$12.16 ISK 1,477

-69.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$2.10 ISK 255

-20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$4.14 ISK 502

-64.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$3.69 ISK 447

-59.35%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$7.09 ISK 860

-70.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$22.32 ISK 2,709

-14.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$24.78 ISK 3,008

-86.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$42.67 ISK 5,181

-74.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$3.29 ISK 400

-10.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.88 ISK 350

-41.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$3.27 ISK 397

-31.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$6.37 ISK 773

-67.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$3.96 ISK 481

-61.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.62 ISK 197

-14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$3.70 ISK 449

-71.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.77 ISK 215

-70.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$13.66 ISK 1,658

-69.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$24.16 ISK 2,933

-22.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$3.66 ISK 444

-50.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.43 ISK 416

-17.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$5.49 ISK 666

-73.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$96.1 ISK 11.7K

-41.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$6.85 ISK 831

-55.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$2.90 ISK 352

-64.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$81.8 ISK 9,935

-95.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$2.02 ISK 245

-27.23%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$68.2K ISK 8.3M

-60.72%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$56.3K ISK 6.8M

-52.61%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$95.9 ISK 11.6K

0.44%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$32.16 ISK 3,904

-64.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$86.4 ISK 10.5K

-80.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$96.9 ISK 11.8K

-30.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$51.2 ISK 6,216

-79.04%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$19.28 ISK 2,340

-61.10%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$1,178 ISK 143.0K

-59.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$25.8K ISK 3.1M

-56.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$152 ISK 18.5K

-59.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$66.5 ISK 8,076

-57.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$183 ISK 22.3K

-48.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$246 ISK 29.8K

-65.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$2,585 ISK 313.8K

-72.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$2,098 ISK 254.7K

-76.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$3,513 ISK 426.5K

-45.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$2,792 ISK 338.9K

-48.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$8,038 ISK 975.8K

-48.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$6,305 ISK 765.5K

-51.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$4,549 ISK 552.3K

-88.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.81

-36.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.9% 327% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Reykjavik

$628 15.5% 136% $361

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Reykjavik

$215 5.3% 72.3% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Reykjavik

$291 7.2% 139% $170

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Reykjavik

$534 13.2% 339% $412

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Reykjavik

$135 3.4% 64.7% $53

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 97.6% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $2,585 in Reykjavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays about 9.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $125 in Reykjavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $628 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

11:55 11:55 AM

04:55 4:55 AM

7 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.38 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Reykjavik 10,610 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Reykjavik

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 Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 68% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 89% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $2,585 in Reykjavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $1,178 in Reykjavik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 136% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $4,040 in Reykjavik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. 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 Reykjavik, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Reykjavik are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.