Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Szeged Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Szeged

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,078 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,643 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,208 in Szeged.

Living in Phuket is roughly 17% more expensive than in Szeged, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Szeged 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.76 Ft 2,456

-42.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$45.37 Ft 14.4K

0.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.71 Ft 1,806

53.42%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.96 Ft 620

51.53%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.37 Ft 433

-49.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.99 Ft 314

-60.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.37 Ft 748

6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.16 Ft 683

73.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.11 Ft 350

93.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.46 Ft 460

24.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.84 Ft 583

18.48%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.82 Ft 893

-20.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$7.83 Ft 2,477

155.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.89 Ft 1,863

-38.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$11.22 Ft 3,550

20.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.86 Ft 587

74.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.77 Ft 559

-7.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$2.04 Ft 646

14.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$2.94 Ft 930

-29.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.05 Ft 333

47.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.20 Ft 380

21.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.44 Ft 456

-31.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.44 Ft 140

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$7.24 Ft 2,292

-39.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$4.95 Ft 1,565

275.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.00 Ft 316

86.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.19 Ft 375

122.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.56 Ft 493

-8.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$28.00 Ft 8,860

-58.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.85 Ft 900

11.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.33 Ft 419

-22.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$17.08 Ft 5,405

-18.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.76 Ft 557

-23.86%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$26.4K Ft 8.3M

5.42%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$25.5K Ft 8.1M

31.03%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$106 Ft 33.6K

16.03%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$24.84 Ft 7,860

-44.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$18.55 Ft 5,870

-1.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$39.81 Ft 12.6K

52.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$20.18 Ft 6,385

-14.97%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$7.95 Ft 2,517

11.57%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$217 Ft 68.8K

216.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$6,385 Ft 2.0M

147.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$89.0 Ft 28.2K

-33.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$25.65 Ft 8,116

35.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$87.6 Ft 27.7K

31.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$107 Ft 33.7K

-21.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$436 Ft 137.8K

42.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$341 Ft 107.8K

30.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$662 Ft 209.4K

207.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$550 Ft 173.9K

172.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$3,269 Ft 1.0M

5.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$2,387 Ft 755.4K

6.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,336 Ft 422.7K

-63.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.85

-8.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Szeged: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $436 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szeged pays 171% 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 $45.00 in Szeged for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $207 per month, with Szeged 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 Szeged: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szeged is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 171% lower in Szeged. 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 $436 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $217 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,078 in Szeged versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szeged but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Szeged the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Szeged 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 Szeged 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 Szeged gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.