Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Szeged

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Szeged: $1,278 and $1,223 a month, rent and utilities included.

Phuket, Thailand
Szeged, Hungary
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Szeged
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Szeged

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Szeged actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,223 in Szeged.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Szeged $1,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,918 in Szeged.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Szeged $1,918

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,613 in Szeged.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Szeged $2,613

Living in Phuket is roughly 5% more expensive than in Szeged, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Szeged 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Szeged
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$9.23 Ft 3,040
-51.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$58.0 Ft 19.1K
-44.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$9.04 Ft 2,978
-2.54%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.37 Ft 781
19.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$1.57 Ft 518
-44.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$1.31 Ft 431
-62.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$2.23 Ft 736
14.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.31 Ft 759
59.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Szeged
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.18 Ft 389
40.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$1.35 Ft 445
8.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$2.43 Ft 802
-38.27%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$3.56 Ft 1,174
-41.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$10.68 Ft 3,516
78.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$6.58 Ft 2,166
-49.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$15.85 Ft 5,219
-31.17%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$2.19 Ft 720
33.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$2.25 Ft 741
-24.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.00 Ft 657
12.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$3.34 Ft 1,099
-37.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.03 Ft 338
46.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$1.04 Ft 343
32.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$1.59 Ft 524
-32.70%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.50 Ft 165
4.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$7.94 Ft 2,613
-47.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$5.18 Ft 1,704
262.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.23 Ft 405
47.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$1.98 Ft 651
43.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Szeged
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$1.71 Ft 564
-15.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$28.69 Ft 9,447
97.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.03 Ft 998
-0.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$1.64 Ft 541
-37.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$18.32 Ft 6,032
-79.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$1.82 Ft 598
-19.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$26.9K Ft 8.9M
-0.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$35.5K Ft 11.7M
-24.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Szeged
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$128 Ft 42.1K
-24.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$21.90 Ft 7,213
-48.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$19.74 Ft 6,502
-14.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Szeged
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$51.5 Ft 16.9K
30.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$29.38 Ft 9,676
-63.48%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$8.64 Ft 2,846
-13.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Szeged
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$250 Ft 82.3K
90.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$6,580 Ft 2.2M
71.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Szeged
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$112 Ft 37.0K
-44.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$32.50 Ft 10.7K
-12.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$93.6 Ft 30.8K
0.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$110 Ft 36.3K
-22.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Szeged
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$518 Ft 170.6K
38.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$375 Ft 123.5K
30.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$739 Ft 243.3K
160.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$615 Ft 202.7K
132.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$3,210 Ft 1.1M
30.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$2,316 Ft 762.8K
31.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Szeged
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$1,224 Ft 403.1K
-58.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.67
-16.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Szeged: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Szeged
$375 23.6% $116
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Szeged
$249 6.5% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Szeged
$169 36.1% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Szeged
$157 28.7% $35
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Szeged
$157 28.8% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Szeged
$69 16.4% $13
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Szeged
$47 33.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $518 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szeged pays about 2.4 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $58 in Szeged. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $249, with Szeged cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇭🇺 Szeged
🕒 Local time
18:17 6:17 PM
12:17 12:17 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
157,930
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 329 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.04 USD). 1 EUR = 367 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.73 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Szeged 8,470 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Szeged

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Szeged cheaper than Phuket?
Szeged is cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and leisure. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Szeged?
On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Szeged?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $518 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $250 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Szeged?
Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 enough for either Phuket or Szeged?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Szeged gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is Phuket or Szeged more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Szeged?
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.

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