Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Subotica Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Subotica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,121 in Subotica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,698 in Subotica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,274 in Subotica.

Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Subotica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Subotica 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$9.78 RSD 986

-52.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$35.37 RSD 3,565

-8.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$11.72 RSD 1,181

-25.94%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.12 RSD 214

36.79%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.97 RSD 199

-57.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.78 RSD 180

-72.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.43 RSD 245

2.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.04 RSD 306

22.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.35 RSD 136

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.17 RSD 118

20.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.23 RSD 225

-27.35%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.23 RSD 326

-30.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$12.34 RSD 1,244

60.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.90 RSD 695

-49.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$13.19 RSD 1,329

-13.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.42 RSD 143

104.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.98 RSD 199

-13.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.49 RSD 151

52.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.29 RSD 231

-6.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.03 RSD 104

42.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.61 RSD 61.4

132.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.61 RSD 61.9

80.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.63 RSD 63.8

-4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.47 RSD 451

-3.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.29 RSD 533

251.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.85 RSD 86.2

111.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.49 RSD 251

19.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.22 RSD 123

84.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$35.08 RSD 3,536

-33.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$2.04 RSD 205

51.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.32 RSD 133

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$11.61 RSD 1,171

-66.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.82 RSD 184

-21.43%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$31.8K RSD 3.2M

-12.55%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$26.0K RSD 2.6M

3.98%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$174 RSD 17.5K

-39.78%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$15.96 RSD 1,608

-28.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$38.78 RSD 3,908

-54.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$34.75 RSD 3,502

56.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$10.10 RSD 1,018

13.27%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.90 RSD 494

58.78%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$244 RSD 24.6K

135.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$44.12 RSD 4,446

44.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$23.48 RSD 2,367

23.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$94.6 RSD 9,530

1.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$74.2 RSD 7,479

21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$428 RSD 43.2K

71.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$301 RSD 30.4K

66.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$633 RSD 63.8K

235.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$561 RSD 56.6K

123.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,518 RSD 253.8K

40.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,714 RSD 172.7K

53.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$918 RSD 92.5K

-44.70%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Subotica: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $428 in Subotica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Subotica pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Subotica. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $229, with Subotica 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 Subotica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subotica is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 81% lower in Subotica. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $428 in Subotica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $244 in Subotica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,121 in Subotica versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Subotica but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Subotica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Subotica is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Subotica 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 Subotica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.