Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Szombathely Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Szombathely

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,149 in Szombathely.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,635 in Szombathely.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,121 in Szombathely.

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Szombathely, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Szombathely 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$8.41 Ft 2,661

-46.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,522

$42.60 Ft 13.5K

7.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$8.59 Ft 2,717

1.98%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$2.11 Ft 667

40.76%

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

$0.69 ฿22.92

$1.11 Ft 350

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.99 Ft 313

-60.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.57 Ft 496

61.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.22 Ft 703

68.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.07 Ft 338

100.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.57 Ft 496

15.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$1.89 Ft 597

15.34%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$2.41 Ft 761

-6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$9.26 Ft 2,929

115.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.85 Ft 1,849

-37.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$14.18 Ft 4,487

-4.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.93 Ft 610

67.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.82 Ft 577

-9.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$2.18 Ft 691

6.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$2.92 Ft 925

-29.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.17 Ft 369

32.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.58

$1.22 Ft 387

19.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.88

$1.81 Ft 573

-45.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.58 Ft 184

-17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$7.07 Ft 2,238

-38.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.78 Ft 1,513

288.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$1.14 Ft 361

63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$1.56 Ft 493

69.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.32

$0.79 Ft 248

79.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$18.17 Ft 5,747

-36.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$2.56 Ft 811

23.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.45

$1.16 Ft 366

-11.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$22.12 Ft 6,997

-37.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.88

$1.66 Ft 524

-19.28%

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

$27.8K ฿927.9K

$27.6K Ft 8.7M

0.59%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$26.0K Ft 8.2M

28.34%

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

$123 ฿4,109

$162 Ft 51.2K

-23.98%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$27.23 Ft 8,615

-49.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$19.40 Ft 6,137

-5.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,026

$45.24 Ft 14.3K

34.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$16.98 Ft 5,372

1.06%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.27 Ft 1,351

107.73%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$396 Ft 125.2K

73.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.9K

$7,137 Ft 2.3M

121.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,980

$92.9 Ft 29.4K

-36.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,158

$44.71 Ft 14.1K

-22.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,846

$91.8 Ft 29.0K

25.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,797

$100 Ft 31.7K

-16.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$430 Ft 136.1K

44.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$313 Ft 99.0K

42.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$437 Ft 138.4K

364.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$342 Ft 108.3K

337.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$2,488 Ft 787.1K

38.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$2,085 Ft 659.4K

21.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,219 Ft 385.6K

-59.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

7.5

-28.93%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Szombathely: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $430 in Szombathely. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Szombathely pays 147% 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 $43.00 in Szombathely for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $226 per month, with Szombathely 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 Szombathely: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Szombathely is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 147% lower in Szombathely. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $430 in Szombathely. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $396 in Szombathely. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,149 in Szombathely versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szombathely but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Szombathely the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Szombathely 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 Szombathely 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 Szombathely 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.