Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Szolnok Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Szolnok

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,134 in Szolnok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,777 in Szolnok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,420 in Szolnok.

Living in Phuket is roughly 11% more expensive than in Szolnok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Szolnok 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$10.10 Ft 3,149

-56.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$47.16 Ft 14.7K

-25.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$8.57 Ft 2,672

4.55%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$2.49 Ft 778

20.48%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$2.08 Ft 648

-62.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$1.24 Ft 386

-62.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.68 Ft 837

-10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$2.93 Ft 914

27.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$0.96 Ft 299

89.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.28 Ft 400

10.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.71 Ft 533

-9.36%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$3.27 Ft 1,021

-34.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$7.97 Ft 2,485

147.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.89 Ft 2,147

-49.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$13.69 Ft 4,268

-18.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$1.53 Ft 476

90.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.84 Ft 573

-9.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.57 Ft 491

44.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$2.55 Ft 795

-17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.69 Ft 216

113.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$0.80 Ft 249

76.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.04 Ft 323

4.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.40 Ft 124

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$6.90 Ft 2,151

-35.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$3.78 Ft 1,179

395.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$0.97 Ft 303

89.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.29 Ft 403

128.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$1.11 Ft 345

103.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$26.73 Ft 8,334

-13.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$3.08 Ft 961

-1.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$2.35 Ft 732

-53.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$15.39 Ft 4,799

-75.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.87 Ft 584

-20.32%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$29.1K Ft 9.1M

-5.71%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$38.0K Ft 11.8M

-27.57%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$130 Ft 40.6K

-21.90%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$30.31 Ft 9,449

-62.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$23.45 Ft 7,310

-24.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$43.41 Ft 13.5K

24.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$19.22 Ft 5,992

-42.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$3.40 Ft 1,060

130.88%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$159 Ft 49.5K

263.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$5,033 Ft 1.6M

131.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$86.1 Ft 26.8K

-24.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$53.0 Ft 16.5K

-45.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$91.7 Ft 28.6K

8.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$122 Ft 37.9K

-25.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$417 Ft 129.9K

81.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$336 Ft 104.8K

45.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$656 Ft 204.6K

217.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$532 Ft 165.9K

126.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$2,109 Ft 657.4K

70.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,664 Ft 518.8K

56.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$1,086 Ft 338.5K

-53.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

7.69

-27.57%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $417 in Szolnok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szolnok pays 116% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Szolnok. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $207, with Szolnok 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 Szolnok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szolnok is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 116% lower in Szolnok. 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: $756 in Phuket versus $417 in Szolnok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $159 in Szolnok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,134 in Szolnok versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Szolnok but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Szolnok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Szolnok 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 Szolnok 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 Szolnok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.