Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pila and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,279 in Pila, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pila outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Pila
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Pila Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Pila

🇵🇱 Poland

$1,279

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pila and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,279 in Pila versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Pila $1,279
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,777 in Pila versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Pila $1,777
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,274 in Pila versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Pila $2,274
Phuket $2,845

Living in Pila is roughly 6% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pila 6% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.84 zł 34.34

$4.40 ฿147

100.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.76 zł 69.0

$32.26 ฿1,078

-44.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.38 zł 32.54

$8.76 ฿293

-4.34%

Cappuccino

$2.32 zł 9.00

$2.83 ฿94.5

-18.02%

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

$0.75 zł 2.90

$0.90 ฿30.14

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 zł 5.42

$0.47 ฿15.56

197.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 zł 11.90

$2.55 ฿85.2

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 zł 11.72

$3.83 ฿128

-21.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 zł 3.56

$1.73 ฿57.7

-46.82%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 zł 2.58

$1.47 ฿49.11

-55.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 zł 4.12

$1.51 ฿50.6

-29.80%

Eggs

$2.38 zł 9.26

$2.17 ฿72.7

9.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.39 zł 24.84

$19.70 ฿658

-67.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 zł 22.67

$3.34 ฿112

74.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.97 zł 19.32

$11.16 ฿373

-55.47%

Apples (1kg)

$0.91 zł 3.54

$2.85 ฿95.1

-68.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 zł 6.37

$1.70 ฿56.9

-3.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 zł 6.20

$2.19 ฿73.3

-26.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 zł 7.09

$2.05 ฿68.4

-11.22%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 zł 3.48

$1.45 ฿48.57

-37.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 zł 4.05

$1.38 ฿46.16

-24.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 zł 4.06

$1.07 ฿35.69

-1.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 zł 1.94

$0.51 ฿16.91

-1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.73 zł 18.37

$4.26 ฿142

11.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 zł 24.85

$18.58 ฿621

-65.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 zł 3.92

$1.78 ฿59.7

-43.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 zł 5.03

$2.85 ฿95.2

-54.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 zł 4.07

$2.26 ฿75.6

-53.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.82 zł 120

$22.10 ฿738

39.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 zł 7.50

$3.01 ฿101

-35.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 zł 3.58

$1.06 ฿35.34

-13.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.60 zł 48.95

$3.86 ฿129

226.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 zł 6.18

$1.45 ฿48.45

9.66%

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

$30.2K zł 117.3K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

14.72%

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

$26.6K zł 103.3K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

-1.30%

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

$240 zł 932

$96.4 ฿3,221

148.86%

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

$12.34 zł 47.93

$11.04 ฿369

11.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.84 zł 42.13

$17.14 ฿573

-36.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.01 zł 148

$52.2 ฿1,744

-27.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.10 zł 85.9

$11.16 ฿373

98.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 zł 19.67

$7.81 ฿261

-35.21%

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

$332 zł 1,289

$556 ฿18.6K

-40.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,542 zł 29.3K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-34.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 zł 266

$64.2 ฿2,146

6.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.34 zł 122

$28.69 ฿959

9.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.8 zł 229

$95.4 ฿3,187

-38.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.5 zł 243

$88.0 ฿2,940

-28.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 zł 2,340

$737 ฿24.6K

-18.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 zł 2,003

$462 ฿15.5K

11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$993 zł 3,860

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-52.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$813 zł 3,160

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-32.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,866 zł 11.1K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-17.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,216 zł 8,611

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-12.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,099 zł 4,271

$501 ฿16.7K

119.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

5.57

22.44%

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

Last update for Pila: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Pila

$515 40.3%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 10.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pila

$263 20.6%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 52.6% $138

Groceries & Markets

Pila

$158 12.4%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 69.9% $111

Eating Out

Pila

$154 12%

Phuket

$121 10% 21% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Pila

$100 7.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 24.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Pila

$48 3.8%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 40.8% $20

Getting Around

Pila

$42 3.3%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 5.1% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $602 in Pila and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pila pays 120% 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: $18.00 in Pila vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $158 vs $269 per month, with Pila cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇱 Pila

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

03:03 3:03 AM

5 h ahead of Pila

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,184

79,308

💱 Currency

Polish Złoty PLN zł

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PLN = 0.257 USD

1 PLN = 0.229 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PLN – Polish Złoty Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇱 Polish Złoty (zł)

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.89 PLN (1 PLN = 0.257 USD). 1 EUR = 4.37 PLN (1 PLN = 0.229 EUR).

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).

USD to PLN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pila Phuket 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Pila
Phuket

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

Pila vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out and transport. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 120% higher in Pila, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $602 in Pila versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $332 in Pila versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Pila pay roughly 70% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,279 in Pila, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pila. 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 Pila, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Pila and Phuket 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 6% less than in Pila. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.