Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Trieste Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Trieste

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,860 in Trieste.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $2,776 in Trieste.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $3,691 in Trieste.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 33% less than in Trieste, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 7% below, Trieste is 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$17.53 €14.92

-73.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$69.6 €59.2

-32.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$12.25 €10.42

-28.98%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$2.22 €1.89

31.53%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$3.46 €2.94

-80.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$1.77 €1.51

-77.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$6.26 €5.33

-59.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$5.81 €4.94

-34.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.90 €1.62

13.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$2.97 €2.53

-36.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$3.83 €3.26

-43.60%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$3.98 €3.39

-44.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$14.79 €12.59

32.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$12.24 €10.42

-68.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$18.19 €15.48

-26.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$2.59 €2.20

25.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$2.55 €2.17

-36.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$2.96 €2.52

-21.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$4.29 €3.65

-51.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$2.40 €2.04

-32.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$2.15 €1.83

-33.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$1.85 €1.57

-44.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.59 €0.50

-18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$6.90 €5.87

-34.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$7.10 €6.04

170.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$1.77 €1.50

2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$3.51 €2.99

-23.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$1.71 €1.45

-19.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$44.58 €37.94

-73.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$10.73 €9.13

-71.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$1.33 €1.13

-24.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$38.66 €32.90

-64.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$2.02 €1.72

-35.64%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$35.2K €30.0K

-22.36%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$41.7K €35.5K

-20.79%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$226 €192

-44.67%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$12.82 €10.91

7.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$32.41 €27.58

-42.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$52.8 €44.95

14.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$27.30 €23.24

-37.18%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$9.27 €7.89

-2.80%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$706 €601

-1.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$10.3K €8,797

55.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$86.6 €73.7

-31.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$36.46 €31.03

-4.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$96.9 €82.5

17.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$142 €120

-39.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$818 €696

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$652 €555

-32.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$1,302 €1,108

59.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$1,033 €879

46.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$4,009 €3,412

-6.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$2,279 €1,940

18.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

$1,818 €1,547

-70.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.6

15.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Trieste: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $818 in Trieste. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trieste pays 244% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $70 in Trieste for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $358 per month, with Phuket 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 Trieste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Trieste earns 244% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $818 in Trieste. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $706 in Trieste. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Trieste. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,860 in Trieste, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Trieste. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Trieste, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Trieste 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Trieste. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.