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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,055 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,657 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,258 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 5% lower, Szeged 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$7.82 Ft 2,432

-40.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$45.23 Ft 14.1K

2.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$5.65 Ft 1,759

53.63%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.96 Ft 609

50.51%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.36 Ft 423

-48.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.98 Ft 305

-60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.33 Ft 724

8.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.16 Ft 672

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.11 Ft 344

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.53 Ft 477

17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.85 Ft 575

18.38%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.95 Ft 919

-21.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$7.82 Ft 2,435

147.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$5.62 Ft 1,749

-32.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$10.94 Ft 3,403

20.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.92 Ft 598

73.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.85 Ft 575

-10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$2.04 Ft 634

12.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.81 Ft 875

-29.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.05 Ft 328

45.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.19 Ft 371

26.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.45 Ft 450

-28.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.48 Ft 149

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$7.14 Ft 2,221

-38.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$5.18 Ft 1,612

274.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.00 Ft 312

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.20 Ft 372

123.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$1.56 Ft 486

-8.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$27.50 Ft 8,555

-57.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$2.78 Ft 864

9.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$1.27 Ft 396

-18.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$17.38 Ft 5,408

-21.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.75 Ft 544

-25.71%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$25.8K Ft 8.0M

7.98%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$25.6K Ft 8.0M

29.28%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$106 Ft 33.0K

16.10%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$24.82 Ft 7,723

-44.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$19.19 Ft 5,970

-1.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$40.56 Ft 12.6K

50.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$20.08 Ft 6,249

-16.28%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$7.84 Ft 2,440

13.14%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$223 Ft 69.5K

211.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,248 Ft 1.9M

157.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$88.1 Ft 27.4K

-32.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$25.98 Ft 8,084

34.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$85.8 Ft 26.7K

31.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$106 Ft 33.1K

-19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$432 Ft 134.5K

42.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$339 Ft 105.4K

32.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$655 Ft 203.9K

218.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$536 Ft 166.9K

178.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$3,360 Ft 1.0M

11.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$2,468 Ft 767.9K

7.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$1,295 Ft 402.8K

-58.79%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Szeged: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $432 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szeged pays 143% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $45 in Szeged for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $208 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 143% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $432 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $223 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 $1,055 in Szeged versus $1,270 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.