Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Utena Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Utena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,328 in Utena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,098 in Utena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,868 in Utena.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Utena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Utena 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$11.41 €9.83

-60.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$70.2 €60.4

-33.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.97 €6.00

21.52%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.08 €2.65

-1.62%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.57 €2.21

-73.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.92 €1.66

-80.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$5.92 €5.10

-57.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.64 €4.86

-35.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.34 €1.15

62.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.53 €1.32

24.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$2.01 €1.73

9.45%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.06 €2.64

-27.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$10.69 €9.21

87.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.43 €4.68

-32.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$9.71 €8.37

36.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.35 €1.16

139.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.62 €1.39

4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.77 €1.53

35.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$3.18 €2.74

-34.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.81 €0.70

96.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.99 €0.85

49.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.56 €1.35

-33.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.88 €0.76

-40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.69 €4.91

-25.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.44 €7.27

122.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.74 €1.50

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.80 €1.55

53.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.14 €0.98

19.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$33.93 €29.23

-66.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$4.66 €4.01

-32.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.12 €0.96

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$13.55 €11.68

1.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.65 €1.42

-18.79%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$38.4K €33.1K

-27.92%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$28.5K €24.6K

18.81%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$210 €181

-41.13%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$14.12 €12.16

-4.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$11.76 €10.13

58.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$41.48 €35.74

49.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$22.88 €19.71

-24.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$9.38 €8.08

-2.56%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$454 €391

54.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$10.5K €9,063

50.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$138 €119

-56.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$42.70 €36.79

-17.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$84.6 €72.9

36.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$189 €162

-55.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$534 €460

15.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$361 €311

19.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$824 €710

150.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$664 €572

127.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,632 €2,268

38.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,649 €1,421

59.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,237 €1,066

-59.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.13

29.06%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Utena: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $534 in Utena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Utena pays 144% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $70.0 in Utena. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $227, with Utena 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 Utena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Utena earns 144% 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 $534 in Utena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $454 in Utena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Utena pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,328 in Utena, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Utena. 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 Utena, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Utena 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 5% less than in Utena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.