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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,294 in Szeged.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,023 in Szeged.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,753 in Szeged.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 2% less than in Szeged, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Szeged 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$10.20 Ft 3,196

-54.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$61.7 Ft 19.3K

-47.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$9.32 Ft 2,919

-6.87%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.44 Ft 765

18.85%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.58 Ft 496

-46.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.32 Ft 413

-62.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.25 Ft 705

10.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.35 Ft 735

58.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.22 Ft 382

54.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.49 Ft 466

-5.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.74 Ft 857

-40.88%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.81 Ft 1,193

-41.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.45 Ft 3,272

89.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.93 Ft 2,171

-49.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$16.39 Ft 5,135

-30.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.41 Ft 756

20.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$2.37 Ft 742

-27.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$2.14 Ft 671

6.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$3.54 Ft 1,108

-39.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.09 Ft 343

34.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.19 Ft 372

19.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.63 Ft 510

-32.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.57 Ft 177

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$8.16 Ft 2,556

-47.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.04 Ft 1,578

269.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.31 Ft 412

37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.07 Ft 649

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.81 Ft 566

24.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$31.30 Ft 9,806

-24.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.08 Ft 964

0.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.72 Ft 538

-37.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$18.92 Ft 5,925

-79.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.94 Ft 609

-26.29%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$28.3K Ft 8.9M

-1.70%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$39.4K Ft 12.3M

-31.43%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$136 Ft 42.7K

-23.13%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$23.24 Ft 7,280

-50.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$20.60 Ft 6,453

-14.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$49.12 Ft 15.4K

10.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$31.29 Ft 9,803

-63.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$8.55 Ft 2,679

-9.01%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$259 Ft 81.3K

122.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$7,070 Ft 2.2M

63.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$108 Ft 33.8K

-40.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$35.02 Ft 11.0K

-16.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$94.1 Ft 29.5K

2.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$131 Ft 41.0K

-31.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$534 Ft 167.1K

37.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$387 Ft 121.3K

29.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$791 Ft 247.9K

168.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$635 Ft 198.9K

97.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$3,277 Ft 1.0M

7.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$2,403 Ft 752.7K

9.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,348 Ft 422.3K

-62.35%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Szeged: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $534 in Szeged. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szeged pays 166% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $62.0 in Szeged. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $261, with Szeged cheaper for home cooking.

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 166% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $534 in Szeged. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $259 in Szeged. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Szeged pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,294 in Szeged, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Szeged. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Szeged, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Szeged. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.