Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vichy

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,468 in Vichy, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Vichy
🇫🇷 France
$1,468
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Vichy

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Vichy actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,468 in Vichy.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Vichy $1,468

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,201 in Vichy.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Vichy $2,201

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $2,933 in Vichy.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Vichy $2,933

Living in Phuket costs roughly 18% less than in Vichy, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Vichy is 9% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Vichy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿153
$7.76 €6.90
-40.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,086
$54.6 €48.58
-40.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿286
$7.29 €6.49
17.28%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.0
$2.74 €2.44
-0.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.25
$2.77 €2.47
-66.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.39
$1.35 €1.20
-63.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$5.55 €4.93
-53.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$4.52 €4.02
-15.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Vichy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$0.94 €0.83
85.11%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.82
$1.88 €1.67
-23.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.0
$1.75 €1.55
-12.57%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$1.96 €1.74
10.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿640
$23.90 €21.26
-19.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿110
$5.67 €5.04
-41.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿372
$7.40 €6.58
50.54%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.5
$1.27 €1.13
132.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.1
$1.86 €1.66
-9.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿76.8
$2.82 €2.51
-18.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$1.95 €1.74
9.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$1.36 €1.21
12.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.55
$1.12 €0.99
21.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.44
$1.11 €0.99
0.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$0.37 €0.33
48.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$10.94 €9.74
-61.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿608
$3.47 €3.08
424.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$2.32 €2.06
-25.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.3
$2.41 €2.14
15.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Vichy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.1
$1.86 €1.65
19.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿737
$48.01 €42.70
-54.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.3
$5.36 €4.77
-45.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.79
$2.04 €1.81
-50.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$33.63 €29.92
-88.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.85
$2.16 €1.92
-31.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿891.6K
$36.2K €32.2K
-26.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿892.7K
$32.1K €28.6K
-16.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Vichy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,321
$134 €119
-25.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿377
$13.43 €11.95
-16.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿580
$32.74 €29.12
-46.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Vichy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,747
$38.27 €34.04
36.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿253
$8.77 €7.80
-13.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Vichy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$790 €703
-29.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿383.9K
$10.7K €9,559
6.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Vichy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,102
$65.9 €58.7
-4.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿955
$27.99 €24.89
2.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,213
$61.8 €54.9
55.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,943
$46.78 €41.61
88.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Vichy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
$746 €664
-2.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$658 €585
-30.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.0K
$1,355 €1,205
54.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿40.8K
$1,118 €994
9.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿115.6K
$3,410 €3,033
1.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.2K
$3,172 €2,821
-21.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Vichy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
$1,635 €1,455
-69.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.79
46.97%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Vichy: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Vichy
$658 43% $198
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Vichy
$242 9.4% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Vichy
$180 40.5% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Vichy
$91 26.6% $33
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Vichy
$170 40.2% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Vichy
$56 17.2% $12
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Vichy
$71 82.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $746 in Vichy. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vichy pays 232% 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 $55.0 in Vichy. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $242, with Vichy cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇫🇷 Vichy
🕒 Local time
15:41 3:41 PM
10:41 10:41 AM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
25,789
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Vichy 9,760 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Vichy

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Vichy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vichy cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Vichy?
On paper, salaries run 232% lower in Vichy. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Vichy?
Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $746 in Vichy. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $790 in Vichy. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Vichy?
Shoppers in Vichy pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Vichy?
At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,468 in Vichy, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vichy. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Vichy more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vichy, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Vichy?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Vichy are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Vichy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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