😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,111 in Szentendre.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,732 in Szentendre.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,353 in Szentendre.
🌍Living in Phuket is roughly 13% more expensive than in Szentendre, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket6% lower, Szentendre17% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.55฿153
$11.69Ft 3,703
-61.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.18฿1,553
$56.0Ft 17.7K
-17.51%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿297
$8.59Ft 2,723
2.91%
Cappuccino
$3.06฿103
$2.15Ft 680
42.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73฿24.40
$1.42Ft 451
-48.59%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.40฿13.39
$1.20Ft 381
-66.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.43฿81.8
$2.96Ft 937
-17.91%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.78฿127
$2.31Ft 733
63.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿76.0
$1.06Ft 335
113.21%
White Bread(500g)
$1.81฿60.9
$1.50Ft 476
20.67%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.25฿75.8
$1.82Ft 578
23.63%
Eggs
$2.25฿75.5
$2.62Ft 829
-14.12%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.51฿656
$9.67Ft 3,064
101.76%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿123
$6.21Ft 1,969
-41.22%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.05฿439
$12.27Ft 3,887
6.36%
Apples(1kg)
$3.23฿109
$1.68Ft 531
92.26%
Banana(1kg)
$1.62฿54.4
$1.97Ft 624
-17.77%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.38฿80.1
$1.88Ft 595
26.60%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿68.1
$3.28Ft 1,038
-38.11%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53฿51.6
$1.08Ft 342
41.67%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿50.5
$1.21Ft 383
23.97%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.98฿32.91
$1.56Ft 494
-37.18%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52฿17.39
$0.60Ft 190
-13.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.44฿149
$6.62Ft 2,096
-32.93%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.32฿616
$6.03Ft 1,911
203.81%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.86฿62.7
$1.12Ft 353
66.07%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68฿90.1
$1.72Ft 545
55.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.41฿47.46
$1.18Ft 373
19.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.70฿393
$27.25Ft 8,634
-57.06%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.11฿105
$2.65Ft 841
17.36%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.04฿35.06
$1.12Ft 355
-7.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.11฿474
$13.72Ft 4,349
2.84%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.31฿44.10
$1.79Ft 566
-26.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.8K฿935.4K
$24.4KFt 7.7M
14.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K฿1.1M
$31.4KFt 9.9M
5.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$122฿4,118
$148Ft 47.0K
-17.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.59฿457
$26.85Ft 8,506
-49.39%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.70฿629
$20.19Ft 6,396
-7.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$60.5฿2,034
$47.40Ft 15.0K
27.62%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.98฿571
$22.84Ft 7,238
-25.66%
Cinema Ticket
$9.07฿305
$7.40Ft 2,344
22.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$706฿23.8K
$328Ft 103.8K
115.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.8K฿531.5K
$3,452Ft 1.1M
357.88%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.6฿1,969
$56.2Ft 17.8K
4.11%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.36฿1,189
$27.77Ft 8,800
27.33%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115฿3,883
$63.5Ft 20.1K
81.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.7฿2,816
$68.1Ft 21.6K
22.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$626฿21.0K
$445Ft 141.0K
40.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$445฿15.0K
$342Ft 108.4K
30.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,040฿68.6K
$625Ft 197.9K
226.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿50.2K
$527Ft 166.9K
183.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,483฿117.1K
$3,222Ft 1.0M
8.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,577฿86.7K
$4,017Ft 1.3M
-35.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$500฿16.8K
$1,569Ft 497.3K
-68.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.33
7.03
-24.18%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026
Last update for Szentendre: July 13, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $445 in Szentendre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Szentendre pays 214% 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 $56.0 in Szentendre. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $225, with Szentendre 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 Szentendre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Szentendre cheaper than Phuket?
Szentendre is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Szentendre?
On paper, salaries run 214% lower in Szentendre. 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 Szentendre?
Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $445 in Szentendre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $328 in Szentendre. 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 Szentendre?
Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Szentendre?
At $1,111 in Szentendre versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Szentendre but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Szentendre the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Szentendre more family-friendly?
For families, Szentendre 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 Szentendre?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Szentendre are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Szentendre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.