Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rome Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,027 in Rome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,143 in Rome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,260 in Rome.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 38% less than in Rome, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Rome is 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$17.23 €14.84

-72.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$73.9 €63.6

-38.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$11.74 €10.11

-28.19%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.83 €1.58

60.11%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.51 €2.16

-72.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.27 €1.09

-70.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$5.86 €5.05

-58.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$5.23 €4.50

-28.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.69 €1.46

31.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.14 €1.84

-14.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.95 €2.54

-26.44%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$4.51 €3.88

-51.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$17.42 €15.00

13.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$12.00 €10.33

-69.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$20.19 €17.38

-32.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.45 €2.11

33.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.23 €1.92

-27.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.95 €1.68

23.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.58 €2.22

-19.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.77 €1.53

-13.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.86 €1.60

-20.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.26 €1.09

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.55 €0.48

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$7.13 €6.14

-38.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.63 €3.99

318.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.95 €1.68

-8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.73 €2.35

-0.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.79 €1.54

-23.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$41.00 €35.30

-72.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$5.13 €4.41

-41.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.60 €1.38

-38.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$35.08 €30.20

-59.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.95 €1.68

-30.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$29.3K €25.2K

-3.81%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.2K €26.0K

9.04%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$219 €189

-44.53%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$11.01 €9.47

23.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$31.31 €26.95

-41.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$64.1 €55.2

-6.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$23.81 €20.49

-28.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$11.73 €10.10

-25.92%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$528 €455

31.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$10.4K €8,974

50.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$73.3 €63.1

-18.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$34.57 €29.76

0.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$87.0 €74.9

31.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$119 €102

-29.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,325 €1,140

-53.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$885 €762

-50.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$2,661 €2,291

-21.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,636 €1,408

-7.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$8,730 €7,516

-57.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$3,452 €2,972

-24.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,058 €1,772

-75.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.95

34.94%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Rome: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,325 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rome pays 305% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Rome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $333 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 Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Rome earns 305% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $1,325 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $528 in Rome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Rome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,027 in Rome, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rome. 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 Rome, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Rome 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 60% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.