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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,126 in Szombathely.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,619 in Szombathely.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,111 in Szombathely.

Living in Phuket is roughly 9% more expensive than Szombathely, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Szombathely 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$8.41 Ft 2,527

-46.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$42.46 Ft 12.8K

9.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$8.54 Ft 2,566

-0.59%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.13 Ft 641

44.60%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.10 Ft 330

-38.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.96 Ft 289

-62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$1.61 Ft 483

50.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.13 Ft 639

70.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.11 Ft 333

97.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.52 Ft 455

19.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.89 Ft 569

17.99%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.54 Ft 763

-11.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$9.29 Ft 2,793

110.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$6.16 Ft 1,851

-39.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$14.42 Ft 4,334

-6.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.91 Ft 575

75.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$1.91 Ft 574

-15.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$2.18 Ft 654

10.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.82 Ft 846

-29.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.17 Ft 351

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.29 Ft 388

12.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.81 Ft 544

-44.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.53 Ft 160

-9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$7.01 Ft 2,105

-39.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$5.01 Ft 1,504

281.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.18 Ft 355

55.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.55 Ft 465

76.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.84 Ft 252

69.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$17.79 Ft 5,345

-34.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$2.52 Ft 758

19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$1.12 Ft 337

-6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$22.09 Ft 6,639

-37.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.73 Ft 520

-25.43%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$27.0K Ft 8.1M

3.73%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$26.3K Ft 7.9M

27.31%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$162 Ft 48.7K

-24.73%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$27.03 Ft 8,123

-48.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$19.98 Ft 6,004

-5.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$46.49 Ft 14.0K

31.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$16.62 Ft 4,995

1.32%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$4.33 Ft 1,302

105.31%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$396 Ft 119.1K

74.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$7,180 Ft 2.2M

125.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$93.5 Ft 28.1K

-38.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$43.94 Ft 13.2K

-19.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$94.1 Ft 28.3K

20.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$99.0 Ft 29.8K

-16.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$427 Ft 128.4K

41.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$321 Ft 96.5K

39.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$431 Ft 129.4K

371.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$348 Ft 104.6K

329.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$2,632 Ft 790.8K

36.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$2,175 Ft 653.5K

18.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$1,248 Ft 375.0K

-59.55%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Szombathely: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $427 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Szombathely for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $228 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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Szombathely earns 147% less. 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: $607 in Phuket versus $427 in Szombathely. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 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 28% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,126 in Szombathely versus $1,223 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 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.