Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varkaus Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varkaus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,685 in Varkaus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,608 in Varkaus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,530 in Varkaus.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in Varkaus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Varkaus is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$11.76 €10.07

-60.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$79.5 €68.1

-41.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.08 €7.77

-2.64%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.45 €3.81

-32.58%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$3.19 €2.73

-76.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.64 €1.40

-77.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$6.97 €5.96

-64.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$7.50 €6.42

-51.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.11 €0.95

103.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.99 €1.70

-7.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.17 €1.86

3.23%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.50 €2.14

-7.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$7.49 €6.41

162.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$11.88 €10.17

-69.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$17.33 €14.84

-24.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.24 €1.92

51.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.94 €1.66

-15.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$3.07 €2.63

-21.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$3.76 €3.22

-46.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.92 €0.78

69.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.55 €1.33

-3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.99 €1.70

-48.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.56 €1.34

-68.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$9.27 €7.94

-52.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$14.16 €12.12

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.23 €1.91

-20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.73 €3.19

-26.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$3.49 €2.98

-59.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$67.5 €57.8

-83.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.69 €5.72

-53.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.59 €1.36

-37.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$46.23 €39.57

-69.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$2.07 €1.77

-34.78%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$29.0K €24.8K

-6.13%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.6K €24.5K

14.93%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$86.6 €74.1

44.39%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$30.17 €25.83

-55.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$18.48 €15.82

0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$44.59 €38.17

37.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$24.69 €21.13

-31.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$11.49 €9.84

-20.02%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$340 €291

105.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,594 €3,933

239.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$99.3 €85.0

-41.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$30.65 €26.24

14.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$84.1 €72.0

34.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$122 €105

-29.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$772 €661

-20.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$637 €545

-30.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,312 €1,123

56.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,047 €896

42.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$4,069 €3,483

-7.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,175 €1,862

21.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

1.9

180.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Varkaus: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $772 in Varkaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $80.0 in Varkaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $317 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 Varkaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,528 in Varkaus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $772 in Varkaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $340 in Varkaus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Varkaus. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,685 in Varkaus, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Varkaus. 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 Varkaus, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Varkaus 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 37% less than in Varkaus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.