😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,155 in Szentendre.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,758 in Szentendre.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,361 in Szentendre.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than Szentendre, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket6% lower, Szentendre14% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.70฿153
$11.73Ft 3,576
-59.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.37฿1,482
$55.5Ft 16.9K
-18.30%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.43฿275
$8.85Ft 2,700
-4.75%
Cappuccino
$2.93฿95.6
$2.08Ft 634
40.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69฿22.40
$1.42Ft 433
-51.41%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.99
$1.24Ft 379
-70.16%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.41฿78.6
$2.90Ft 885
-16.90%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72฿122
$2.36Ft 719
57.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.23฿72.9
$1.00Ft 305
123.00%
White Bread(500g)
$1.83฿59.8
$1.57Ft 479
16.56%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.17฿70.8
$1.89Ft 577
14.81%
Eggs
$2.21฿72.3
$2.71Ft 826
-18.45%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.74฿645
$9.86Ft 3,007
100.20%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.63฿119
$6.09Ft 1,856
-40.39%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.53฿442
$12.32Ft 3,756
9.82%
Apples(1kg)
$3.28฿107
$1.72Ft 523
90.70%
Banana(1kg)
$1.61฿52.6
$1.98Ft 603
-18.69%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿78.6
$1.80Ft 548
33.89%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.08฿68.1
$3.31Ft 1,008
-37.16%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53฿49.93
$1.08Ft 330
41.67%
Onion(1kg)
$1.48฿48.36
$1.22Ft 371
21.31%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.99฿32.29
$1.48Ft 450
-33.11%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51฿16.67
$0.57Ft 174
-10.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.41฿144
$6.68Ft 2,038
-33.98%
Wine(Bottle)
$19.38฿633
$6.00Ft 1,830
223.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
$1.11Ft 338
60.36%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71฿88.6
$1.73Ft 526
56.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.37฿44.79
$1.17Ft 358
17.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.39฿372
$27.16Ft 8,283
-58.06%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.02฿98.6
$2.55Ft 777
18.43%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.99฿32.48
$1.11Ft 338
-10.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.10฿461
$13.64Ft 4,161
3.37%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.36฿44.51
$1.81Ft 553
-24.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K฿921.1K
$24.5KFt 7.5M
15.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$31.1KFt 9.5M
5.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$122฿3,975
$145Ft 44.1K
-15.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿443
$26.47Ft 8,072
-48.73%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.31฿598
$20.05Ft 6,114
-8.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$60.2฿1,967
$47.27Ft 14.4K
27.40%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.14฿560
$23.40Ft 7,137
-26.75%
Cinema Ticket
$8.69฿284
$7.37Ft 2,249
17.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$693฿22.6K
$333Ft 101.4K
108.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.7K฿512.3K
$3,399Ft 1.0M
361.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.5฿1,944
$55.8Ft 17.0K
6.74%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.77฿1,136
$27.08Ft 8,258
28.40%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$115฿3,743
$63.0Ft 19.2K
81.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.3฿2,720
$68.3Ft 20.8K
21.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$613฿20.0K
$442Ft 134.9K
38.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$437฿14.3K
$340Ft 103.8K
28.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,094฿68.4K
$631Ft 192.5K
231.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,509฿49.3K
$543Ft 165.5K
178.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,749฿122.5K
$3,217Ft 981.0K
16.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,616฿85.4K
$4,023Ft 1.2M
-34.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Szentendre
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$508฿16.6K
$1,647Ft 502.4K
-69.16%
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: June 2, 2026
Last update for Szentendre: May 31, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $442 in Szentendre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Szentendre pays 224% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $56.0 in Szentendre. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Szentendre?
On paper, Szentendre earns 224% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $442 in Szentendre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $333 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 Szentendre?
Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for Phuket or Szentendre?
At $1,155 in Szentendre versus $1,265 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.