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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,034 in Subotica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,544 in Subotica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,054 in Subotica.

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than in Subotica, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Subotica 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.06 RSD 1,033

-55.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$29.44 RSD 3,022

54.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.63 RSD 886

1.51%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$2.01 RSD 206

47.76%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.64 RSD 169

-57.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$1.00 RSD 103

-61.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.95 RSD 200

29.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.19 RSD 225

71.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.47 RSD 150

46.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$0.94 RSD 96.8

93.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$3.06 RSD 314

-28.76%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.69 RSD 276

-16.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$10.71 RSD 1,100

86.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.03 RSD 722

-48.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$10.65 RSD 1,093

27.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.37 RSD 141

136.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.90 RSD 195

-13.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.44 RSD 148

61.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$2.20 RSD 226

-5.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.03 RSD 106

50.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.78 RSD 79.6

87.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.61 RSD 62.5

60.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.70 RSD 72.2

-31.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$4.31 RSD 443

0.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$5.23 RSD 537

255.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$0.87 RSD 89.4

113.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.60 RSD 164

65.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.21 RSD 124

17.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.85 RSD 190

71.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.96 RSD 98.5

7.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$9.89 RSD 1,016

40.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.84 RSD 189

-27.17%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$30.1K RSD 3.1M

-7.66%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$26.3K RSD 2.7M

26.98%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$118 RSD 12.1K

4.27%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$13.11 RSD 1,346

5.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$33.21 RSD 3,409

-44.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$32.63 RSD 3,350

85.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$9.67 RSD 993

77.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$2.87 RSD 295

209.06%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$441 RSD 45.3K

55.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$9,172 RSD 941.5K

72.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$34.45 RSD 3,536

72.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$26.73 RSD 2,744

29.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$89.3 RSD 9,166

29.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$122 RSD 12.5K

-31.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$411 RSD 42.2K

51.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$336 RSD 34.5K

32.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$601 RSD 61.7K

238.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$552 RSD 56.7K

170.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$2,435 RSD 249.9K

41.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,634 RSD 167.8K

54.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$914 RSD 93.8K

-46.00%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Subotica: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $411 in Subotica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Subotica pays 85% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Subotica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 85% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $411 in Subotica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $441 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,034 in Subotica versus $1,264 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 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.