Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Subotica

For one person, living is cheaper in Subotica: $1,084 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Subotica
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Subotica Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Subotica

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,084

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Subotica

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,084 in Subotica.

Phuket $1,278
Subotica $1,084

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,643 in Subotica.

Phuket $2,216
Subotica $1,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,201 in Subotica.

Phuket $3,154
Subotica $2,201

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than in Subotica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Subotica 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$9.31 RSD 981

-51.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$33.70 RSD 3,551

-3.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.40 RSD 1,201

-22.72%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.98 RSD 208

42.93%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$1.88 RSD 198

-53.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$1.71 RSD 180

-71.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.47 RSD 260

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.83 RSD 298

30.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.39 RSD 147

19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$1.06 RSD 112

37.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$2.05 RSD 216

-26.83%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.89 RSD 305

-27.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$12.07 RSD 1,272

58.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.59 RSD 694

-49.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.73 RSD 1,342

-14.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$1.37 RSD 145

113.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.87 RSD 197

-9.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.40 RSD 147

60.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.20 RSD 232

-5.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.98 RSD 103

54.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.65 RSD 68.1

112.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.55 RSD 57.6

94.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.61 RSD 64.3

-14.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.30 RSD 453

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$5.12 RSD 540

266.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$0.81 RSD 85.7

124.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.41 RSD 254

17.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.15 RSD 122

26.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$33.67 RSD 3,548

68.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.85 RSD 194

63.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.21 RSD 127

-15.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$11.15 RSD 1,175

-66.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.77 RSD 186

-16.95%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$30.1K RSD 3.2M

-10.98%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$25.2K RSD 2.7M

5.92%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$165 RSD 17.4K

-41.50%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$15.30 RSD 1,612

-26.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$36.75 RSD 3,872

-54.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$32.84 RSD 3,460

104.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$9.59 RSD 1,011

11.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.88 RSD 514

53.69%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$239 RSD 25.2K

99.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$43.34 RSD 4,566

43.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$22.25 RSD 2,345

27.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$93.7 RSD 9,867

0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$70.8 RSD 7,458

21.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$415 RSD 43.8K

72.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$291 RSD 30.6K

68.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$606 RSD 63.8K

218.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$538 RSD 56.6K

166.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

$2,432 RSD 256.2K

71.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

$1,641 RSD 172.9K

85.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$882 RSD 92.9K

-43.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.79

16.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Subotica: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Subotica

$291 26.8% 40.8% $200

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Subotica

$219 20.2% 17.7% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Subotica

$217 20% 74.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Subotica

$104 9.6% 15.1% $18

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Subotica

$165 15.2% 35.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Subotica

$43 3.9% 48.2% $40

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Subotica

$46 4.3% 34.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $415 in Subotica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Subotica pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $34 in Subotica. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $219, with Subotica cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇷🇸 Subotica

🕒 Local time

15:16 3:16 PM

09:16 9:16 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

88,752

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.49 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 105 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.49 USD). 1 EUR = 118 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.5 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Subotica 8,510 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Subotica

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 Subotica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subotica is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 43% 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 $415 in Subotica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $239 in Subotica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Subotica is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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