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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,053 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,625 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,196 in Szeged.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than Szeged, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Szeged 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.73 Ft 2,386

-41.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,536

$45.19 Ft 13.9K

3.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿279

$5.61 Ft 1,733

50.98%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿99.7

$1.97 Ft 607

53.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.71

$1.36 Ft 421

-49.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.05

$0.93 Ft 286

-60.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿82.0

$2.36 Ft 729

5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿121

$2.18 Ft 672

67.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.9

$1.07 Ft 332

103.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.7

$1.54 Ft 475

23.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿72.4

$1.77 Ft 547

24.29%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿73.2

$2.91 Ft 899

-23.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿659

$8.07 Ft 2,492

147.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿121

$5.95 Ft 1,837

-38.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿437

$11.31 Ft 3,493

17.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿107

$1.85 Ft 571

74.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.9

$1.86 Ft 575

-8.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.9

$2.03 Ft 625

17.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.5

$2.90 Ft 895

-28.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿52.5

$1.02 Ft 315

55.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.87

$1.19 Ft 368

24.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.93

$1.39 Ft 430

-25.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.03

$0.47 Ft 145

10.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿140

$7.52 Ft 2,320

-43.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿619

$5.31 Ft 1,638

253.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.9

$0.93 Ft 287

89.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿90.8

$1.24 Ft 383

122.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.83

$1.61 Ft 498

-15.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿374

$28.00 Ft 8,642

-59.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿104

$2.90 Ft 896

8.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿34.13

$1.28 Ft 395

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿454

$17.38 Ft 5,365

-20.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.30

$1.75 Ft 540

-23.43%

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

$27.7K ฿912.0K

$25.5K Ft 7.9M

8.34%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$25.6K Ft 7.9M

32.50%

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

$124 ฿4,072

$104 Ft 32.2K

18.39%

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

$13.52 ฿446

$25.12 Ft 7,754

-46.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿616

$18.72 Ft 5,778

-0.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,037

$40.21 Ft 12.4K

53.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿568

$19.90 Ft 6,143

-13.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿301

$7.78 Ft 2,401

17.48%

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

$703 ฿23.2K

$221 Ft 68.2K

218.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿523.0K

$6,372 Ft 2.0M

149.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,959

$90.3 Ft 27.9K

-34.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,156

$26.11 Ft 8,060

34.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,798

$85.8 Ft 26.5K

34.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,769

$105 Ft 32.4K

-20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.4K

$441 Ft 136.0K

40.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.3K

$344 Ft 106.1K

25.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.9K

$677 Ft 209.0K

204.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.8K

$537 Ft 165.7K

181.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿120.1K

$3,386 Ft 1.0M

7.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿86.5K

$2,456 Ft 758.0K

6.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.7K

$1,328 Ft 409.8K

-61.81%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Szeged: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $441 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szeged pays 162% 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 $45.00 in Szeged for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $210 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 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Szeged earns 162% 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 $441 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $221 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,053 in Szeged versus $1,261 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 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.