Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Split

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,851 in Split, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Split, Croatia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Split
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,851
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Split

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,851 in Split.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Split $1,851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,848 in Split.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Split $2,848

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,844 in Split.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Split $3,844

Living in Phuket costs roughly 31% less than in Split, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Split is 36% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Split
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$17.02 €15.25
-73.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$75.1 €67.2
-56.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$11.40 €10.21
-22.72%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.70 €2.42
4.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$4.11 €3.68
-78.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$2.81 €2.51
-82.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$4.67 €4.18
-45.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.18 €4.64
-28.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Split
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.29 €1.15
28.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$2.13 €1.91
-31.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$3.73 €3.34
-59.79%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$4.16 €3.73
-49.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$13.71 €12.28
39.10%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$9.50 €8.51
-65.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$12.88 €11.54
-15.30%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$2.19 €1.96
33.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.83 €1.64
-7.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.91 €1.71
17.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$2.88 €2.58
-27.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.58 €1.41
-4.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$1.15 €1.03
20.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$1.29 €1.16
-17.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$1.28 €1.15
-59.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$5.71 €5.12
-26.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$9.14 €8.18
105.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.73 €1.55
5.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$2.20 €1.97
29.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Split
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$1.66 €1.49
-12.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$38.84 €34.78
45.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.80 €3.41
-20.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$2.11 €1.89
-51.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$29.30 €26.24
-87.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.95 €1.75
-24.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$28.0K €25.1K
-4.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$24.7K €22.1K
7.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Split
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$212 €190
-54.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$20.36 €18.24
-44.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$40.88 €36.61
-58.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Split
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$60.0 €53.8
12.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$13.12 €11.75
-18.22%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$10.60 €9.50
-29.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Split
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$604 €541
-21.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$11.8K €10.6K
-4.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Split
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$93.2 €83.5
-33.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$39.54 €35.41
-28.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$113 €102
-16.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$98.0 €87.7
-12.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Split
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$1,016 €910
-29.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$722 €646
-31.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,906 €1,707
1.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,322 €1,184
8.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$7,099 €6,358
-41.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$5,158 €4,619
-40.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Split
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$1,575 €1,410
-68.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.44
61.92%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Split: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Split
$722 47% $231
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Split
$296 11.2% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Split
$273 120% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Split
$155 27.1% $33
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Split
$264 117% $142
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Split
$81 1.2% $1
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Split
$60 15.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,016 in Split. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Split pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $75 in Split for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $296 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇭🇷 Split
🕒 Local time
01:21 1:21 AM
19:21 7:21 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
149,830
💱 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Split 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Split

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 Split: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Split?
Phuket is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Split?
On paper, salaries run 68% 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Split?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,016 in Split. 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 $604 in Split. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Split?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Split. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Split?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,851 in Split, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Split. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Split more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Split, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Split?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Split are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Split on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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