Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varese Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varese

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,067 in Varese.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $3,485 in Varese.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $4,904 in Varese.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 40% less than in Varese, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Varese is 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$22.96 €20.01

-80.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$103 €89.8

-68.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$14.70 €12.82

-39.25%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.29 €1.99

26.64%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$3.71 €3.23

-76.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.74 €1.52

-72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$6.85 €5.97

-65.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$6.41 €5.58

-41.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.81 €1.58

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.95 €2.57

-50.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$3.15 €2.75

-50.79%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.58 €3.99

-54.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$18.12 €15.79

8.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$13.22 €11.52

-74.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$29.04 €25.32

-60.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.67 €2.33

11.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$2.41 €2.10

-30.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$3.03 €2.64

-27.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.97 €3.46

-45.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.65 €2.31

-42.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.22 €1.93

-39.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.51 €1.31

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.56 €0.49

-1.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.83 €5.96

-37.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$8.15 €7.11

134.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.80 €1.57

-1.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.61 €1.40

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$2.74 €2.39

-18.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$51.6 €44.95

-55.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$5.91 €5.15

-48.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$2.27 €1.98

-55.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$40.33 €35.15

-90.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$2.07 €1.80

-28.02%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$36.9K €32.1K

-27.90%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$36.8K €32.1K

-26.49%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$222 €193

-53.75%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$13.58 €11.84

-16.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$31.96 €27.86

-45.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$47.69 €41.57

9.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$26.14 €22.79

-57.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$12.05 €10.50

-36.18%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$759 €661

-26.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,215 €6,290

59.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$113 €98.8

-44.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$58.0 €50.6

-49.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$132 €115

-25.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$168 €146

-47.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$975 €850

-24.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$732 €638

-34.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,760 €1,534

19.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,643 €1,432

-25.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,671 €2,328

35.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,727 €1,505

50.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,459 €2,143

-79.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.62

53.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Varese: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $975 in Varese. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varese pays 398% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $103 in Varese for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $399 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 Varese: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 398% lower in Varese. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $975 in Varese. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $759 in Varese. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Varese. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,067 in Varese, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Varese. 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 Varese, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Varese 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 68% less than in Varese. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.