Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Silves Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Silves

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,641 in Silves.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,343 in Silves.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,045 in Silves.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 23% less than in Silves, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Silves is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$11.64 €10.02

-59.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$45.84 €39.46

-1.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.09 €7.82

-7.26%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.22 €1.91

31.98%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.91 €1.65

-63.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.37 €1.18

-72.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.30 €1.98

4.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.49 €3.01

6.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.11 €0.96

100.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.58 €1.36

15.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.68 €1.44

29.17%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.18 €2.74

-30.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.54 €9.94

71.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.68 €6.62

-52.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$14.12 €12.15

-4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.31 €1.99

41.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.42 €1.23

13.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.88 €1.62

28.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.53 €2.18

-17.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.45 €1.25

5.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.91 €1.64

-22.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.64 €1.41

-39.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.88 €0.75

-42.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.20 €5.33

-28.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$5.31 €4.57

264.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.30 €1.12

36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.35 €2.02

15.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$2.36 €2.03

-41.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$41.31 €35.56

-72.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$4.08 €3.51

-25.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.86 €0.74

15.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.11 €14.73

-17.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.98 €1.70

-31.31%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.7K €29.9K

-18.79%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$39.4K €33.9K

-16.56%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$137 €118

-10.86%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$21.36 €18.39

-36.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$41.71 €35.90

-56.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$43.29 €37.27

39.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$8.61 €7.41

0.93%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$473 €407

46.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$8,237 €7,091

90.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$73.2 €63.0

-18.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$38.83 €33.42

-10.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$91.9 €79.1

24.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$96.8 €83.3

-13.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$909 €783

-32.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$744 €641

-41.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,499 €1,290

39.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,140 €981

32.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,383 €2,912

10.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,342 €2,016

11.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$989 €852

-48.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.01

6.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Silves: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $909 in Silves. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Silves pays 95% 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 $46.00 in Silves. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $249, with Silves cheaper for home cooking.

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 Silves: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Silves earns 95% 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 $909 in Silves. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $473 in Silves. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Silves pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,641 in Silves, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Silves. 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 Silves, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Silves 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 30% less than in Silves. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.