Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Wageningen

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $2,632 in Wageningen, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Wageningen
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,632
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Wageningen

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 Wageningen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,632 in Wageningen.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Wageningen $2,632

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $4,036 in Wageningen.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Wageningen $4,036

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $5,441 in Wageningen.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Wageningen $5,441

Living in Phuket costs roughly 54% less than in Wageningen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Wageningen is 94% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Wageningen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$21.83 €19.42
-79.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$89.2 €79.3
-63.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$13.41 €11.92
-34.68%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$4.22 €3.75
-32.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$3.87 €3.44
-76.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$2.65 €2.35
-82.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$5.68 €5.05
-55.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$5.10 €4.53
-24.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Wageningen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.30 €1.16
33.08%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$1.97 €1.75
-25.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$2.77 €2.47
-45.49%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$4.89 €4.35
-55.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$12.83 €11.41
53.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$14.59 €12.98
-77.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$17.01 €15.13
-34.39%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$2.66 €2.36
7.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$2.48 €2.20
-31.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$1.88 €1.67
16.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$4.52 €4.02
-54.65%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$1.80 €1.60
-19.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$2.19 €1.95
-36.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$1.25 €1.11
-14.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$0.98 €0.87
-47.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$14.18 €12.61
-69.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$7.02 €6.24
164.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$1.32 €1.18
34.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$2.62 €2.33
8.78%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Wageningen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
$3.39 €3.01
-33.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$3.93 €3.50
-23.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$2.02 €1.79
-47.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$22.31 €19.84
-82.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$2.40 €2.13
-39.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$42.0K €37.4K
-37.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$39.2K €34.9K
-31.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Wageningen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$308 €274
-68.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$24.59 €21.87
-55.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$46.83 €41.65
-63.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Wageningen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$38.22 €33.99
36.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
$22.18 €19.73
-49.68%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$15.54 €13.82
-49.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Wageningen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$1,997 €1,776
-72.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$7,866 €6,997
47.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Wageningen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$96.0 €85.4
-33.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$43.25 €38.47
-33.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$106 €94.2
-9.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$104 €92.3
-15.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Wageningen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
$1,181 €1,050
-37.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$1,332 €1,185
-65.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
$2,698 €2,400
-22.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
$2,553 €2,271
-52.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$4,357 €3,876
-19.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
$4,637 €4,124
-45.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Wageningen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
$3,350 €2,980
-85.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4
39.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Wageningen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Wageningen
$1.3K 188% $869
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Wageningen
$336 25.2% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Wageningen
$380 205% $255
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Wageningen
$157 26.3% $33
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Wageningen
$330 172% $209
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Wageningen
$69 2.2% $1.5
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Wageningen
$28 * 30.1% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $1,181 in Wageningen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wageningen pays 569% 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 $89.0 in Wageningen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $336 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇳🇱 Wageningen
🕒 Local time
20:58 8:58 PM
15:58 3:58 PM
5 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
39,664
💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Wageningen 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Wageningen

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 Wageningen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wageningen cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Wageningen?
On paper, salaries run 569% lower in Wageningen. 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 Wageningen?
Rent for a central apartment: $737 in Phuket versus $1,181 in Wageningen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $1,997 in Wageningen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Wageningen?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $89.0 in Wageningen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Wageningen?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $2,632 in Wageningen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wageningen. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Wageningen more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Wageningen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Wageningen?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Wageningen 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 118% less than in Wageningen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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