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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,021 in Subotica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,561 in Subotica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,101 in Subotica.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than Subotica, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Subotica 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$9.65 RSD 969

-52.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$29.36 RSD 2,945

59.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.71 RSD 874

1.49%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.96 RSD 196

53.06%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.64 RSD 165

-54.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.97 RSD 97.5

-61.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.02 RSD 202

20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.12 RSD 213

70.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.47 RSD 147

53.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.92 RSD 92.3

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.91 RSD 292

-23.02%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.61 RSD 262

-11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.75 RSD 1,079

82.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.24 RSD 726

-49.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$10.65 RSD 1,069

23.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.38 RSD 138

145.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.90 RSD 190

-13.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.47 RSD 148

63.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.14 RSD 215

-5.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.04 RSD 104

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.75 RSD 74.8

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.57 RSD 57.7

78.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.71 RSD 71.5

-30.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.46 RSD 447

-0.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.41 RSD 543

248.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.89 RSD 89.1

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.53 RSD 154

79.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.17 RSD 117

19.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.81 RSD 182

72.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.92 RSD 91.9

8.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$9.77 RSD 980

44.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.77 RSD 178

-23.73%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$30.9K RSD 3.1M

-11.93%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.3K RSD 2.6M

25.30%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$117 RSD 11.7K

6.77%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.45 RSD 1,349

0.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$32.86 RSD 3,297

-43.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$31.81 RSD 3,192

93.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$9.61 RSD 964

75.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.98 RSD 299

208.39%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$454 RSD 45.6K

53.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$9,264 RSD 929.4K

68.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$34.12 RSD 3,424

69.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$26.83 RSD 2,691

31.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$87.5 RSD 8,783

29.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$119 RSD 11.9K

-27.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$408 RSD 40.9K

51.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$332 RSD 33.3K

34.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$597 RSD 59.9K

242.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$557 RSD 55.9K

167.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,548 RSD 255.6K

48.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,775 RSD 178.1K

49.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$915 RSD 91.8K

-42.75%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Subotica: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $408 in Subotica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Subotica pays 75% 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 $292 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 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Subotica earns 75% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $408 in Subotica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $454 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 $1,021 in Subotica versus $1,232 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 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.