😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,136 in Szombathely.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,615 in Szombathely.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,095 in Szombathely.
😐Living in Phuket is roughly 8% more expensive than Szombathely, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket8% lower, Szombathely15% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Szombathely
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.63฿151
$8.69Ft 2,713
-46.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.84฿1,532
$43.04Ft 13.4K
8.83%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.84฿289
$8.51Ft 2,654
3.88%
Cappuccino
$3.00฿98.0
$2.20Ft 686
36.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.74฿24.25
$1.09Ft 340
-32.11%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.37฿11.95
$1.00Ft 311
-63.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.44฿79.8
$1.56Ft 487
56.41%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61฿118
$2.15Ft 670
67.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Szombathely
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.26฿73.9
$1.10Ft 342
105.45%
White Bread(500g)
$1.84฿60.1
$1.55Ft 483
18.71%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.24฿73.4
$1.90Ft 594
17.89%
Eggs
$2.32฿75.7
$2.44Ft 761
-4.92%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.67฿643
$9.44Ft 2,944
108.37%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.65฿119
$6.02Ft 1,880
-39.37%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.10฿428
$14.43Ft 4,504
-9.22%
Apples(1kg)
$3.39฿111
$1.91Ft 596
77.49%
Banana(1kg)
$1.64฿53.7
$1.84Ft 573
-10.87%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.41฿79.0
$2.11Ft 658
14.22%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.03฿66.4
$2.81Ft 876
-27.76%
Potato(1kg)
$1.56฿50.9
$1.12Ft 351
39.29%
Onion(1kg)
$1.50฿48.94
$1.24Ft 386
20.97%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.02฿33.50
$1.73Ft 540
-41.04%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.49฿16.00
$0.58Ft 180
-15.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.45฿145
$7.38Ft 2,301
-39.70%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.88฿617
$4.72Ft 1,472
300.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿58.1
$1.17Ft 365
52.14%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75฿90.1
$1.63Ft 507
68.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Szombathely
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.40฿45.81
$0.81Ft 254
72.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$11.48฿376
$18.26Ft 5,697
-37.13%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.12฿102
$2.62Ft 817
19.08%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.00฿32.67
$1.16Ft 363
-13.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$14.09฿461
$22.65Ft 7,067
-37.79%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.35฿44.19
$1.65Ft 516
-18.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿888.9K
$27.5KFt 8.6M
-0.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K฿1.1M
$25.6KFt 8.0M
28.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Szombathely
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$125฿4,087
$167Ft 52.0K
-24.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.57฿444
$27.84Ft 8,685
-51.26%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.52฿606
$19.33Ft 6,030
-4.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Szombathely
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$61.5฿2,010
$45.57Ft 14.2K
34.91%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.84฿551
$16.58Ft 5,173
1.57%
Cinema Ticket
$9.19฿300
$4.24Ft 1,323
116.75%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Szombathely
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$698฿22.8K
$403Ft 125.7K
73.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$15.6K฿509.9K
$7,179Ft 2.2M
117.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Szombathely
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.8฿1,889
$91.9Ft 28.7K
-37.13%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.24฿1,152
$45.15Ft 14.1K
-21.95%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$113฿3,699
$93.1Ft 29.0K
21.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.4฿2,825
$98.8Ft 30.8K
-12.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Szombathely
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$616฿20.1K
$434Ft 135.4K
41.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$446฿14.6K
$319Ft 99.5K
39.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,048฿67.0K
$433Ft 135.0K
373.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,492฿48.8K
$346Ft 107.9K
331.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,779฿123.6K
$2,561Ft 799.2K
47.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,649฿86.6K
$2,081Ft 649.4K
27.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Szombathely
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$524฿17.1K
$1,213Ft 378.4K
-56.81%
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: April 27, 2026
Last update for Szombathely: April 28, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $434 in Szombathely. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Szombathely pays 132% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $43.00 in Szombathely for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $227 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
Is Szombathely cheaper than Phuket?
Szombathely is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Szombathely?
On paper, Szombathely earns 132% 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 Szombathely?
Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $434 in Szombathely. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $403 in Szombathely. 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 Szombathely?
Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Phuket or Szombathely?
At $1,136 in Szombathely versus $1,232 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.
Is Phuket or Szombathely more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Szombathely?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Szombathely gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.