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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,024 in Subotica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,546 in Subotica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,069 in Subotica.

Living in Phuket is roughly 23% more expensive than Subotica, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Subotica 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$9.99 RSD 1,011

-54.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$28.74 RSD 2,906

62.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.59 RSD 869

-1.40%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.02 RSD 204

50.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.60 RSD 162

-56.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.98 RSD 98.7

-62.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.94 RSD 196

28.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.14 RSD 217

71.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.45 RSD 146

50.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$0.93 RSD 94.0

104.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$3.05 RSD 308

-27.87%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.72 RSD 275

-18.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.93 RSD 1,105

82.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$7.22 RSD 730

-49.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.36 RSD 1,048

27.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.38 RSD 139

134.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.86 RSD 188

-8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.44 RSD 146

65.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.12 RSD 214

-1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.06 RSD 107

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.79 RSD 80.0

87.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.60 RSD 61.1

71.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.72 RSD 72.6

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.37 RSD 442

-2.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.56 RSD 563

237.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.83 RSD 83.5

112.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.61 RSD 163

71.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.17 RSD 118

16.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.84 RSD 186

70.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.92 RSD 92.8

13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$10.08 RSD 1,020

36.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.78 RSD 180

-24.72%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$30.6K RSD 3.1M

-9.62%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$26.5K RSD 2.7M

27.62%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$116 RSD 11.8K

6.30%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$13.52 RSD 1,367

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$32.58 RSD 3,295

-42.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$31.93 RSD 3,229

93.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$9.74 RSD 985

77.10%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$2.97 RSD 301

207.74%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$440 RSD 44.5K

59.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$9,378 RSD 948.4K

69.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$34.87 RSD 3,527

70.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$26.26 RSD 2,655

33.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$89.5 RSD 9,054

28.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$122 RSD 12.3K

-30.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$410 RSD 41.5K

50.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$328 RSD 33.1K

32.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$601 RSD 60.7K

243.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$556 RSD 56.3K

171.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,526 RSD 255.5K

44.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,650 RSD 166.8K

59.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$891 RSD 90.1K

-43.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.59

-4.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Subotica: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $410 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Subotica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $215 per month, with Subotica 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 Subotica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Subotica is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Subotica earns 76% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $410 in Subotica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $440 in Subotica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Subotica – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,024 in Subotica versus $1,261 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.