Cost of Living Comparison Between Podgorica and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Podgorica and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,309 in Podgorica versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,997 in Podgorica versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,685 in Podgorica versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Podgorica is roughly 5% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Podgorica 2% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.72 €8.49

$4.55 ฿153

113.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.18 €41.22

$46.18 ฿1,550

2.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 €8.30

$8.84 ฿297

7.47%

Cappuccino

$2.14 €1.87

$3.06 ฿103

-30.07%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$0.73 ฿24.36

212.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.26

$0.40 ฿13.37

260.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 €2.51

$2.43 ฿81.6

18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €2.95

$3.78 ฿127

-10.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.15

$2.26 ฿75.8

-41.59%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 €0.86

$1.81 ฿60.8

-45.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €2.00

$2.25 ฿75.7

1.78%

Eggs

$3.19 €2.79

$2.25 ฿75.4

41.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 €7.52

$19.51 ฿655

-55.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.91

$3.65 ฿122

116.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.88 €10.38

$13.05 ฿438

-8.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 €1.32

$3.23 ฿109

-53.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.62 ฿54.3

8.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 €1.40

$2.38 ฿80.0

-32.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.23

$2.03 ฿68.0

26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.53 ฿51.5

-32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 €0.97

$1.50 ฿50.4

-26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.98 ฿32.85

88.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.52 ฿17.36

55.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 €3.66

$4.44 ฿149

-5.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.05

$18.32 ฿615

-68.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.86 ฿62.6

-43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.56

$2.68 ฿90.0

-33.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 €0.89

$1.41 ฿47.37

-27.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.27 €29.94

$11.70 ฿393

192.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 €0.58

$3.11 ฿104

-78.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 €0.66

$1.04 ฿35.00

-27.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.73 €10.24

$14.11 ฿474

-16.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.31 ฿44.02

34.35%

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

$29.5K €25.7K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

5.89%

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

$32.3K €28.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-2.87%

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

$115 €100

$122 ฿4,110

-6.13%

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

$18.25 €15.95

$13.59 ฿456

34.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.94 €27.90

$18.70 ฿628

70.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.89 €38.35

$60.5 ฿2,031

-27.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.47 €11.77

$16.98 ฿570

-20.67%

Cinema Ticket

$5.84 €5.11

$9.07 ฿305

-35.61%

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

$284 €248

$706 ฿23.7K

-59.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,580 €6,622

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-52.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.2 €74.4

$58.6 ฿1,965

45.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.19 €39.48

$35.36 ฿1,187

27.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 €82.3

$115 ฿3,876

-18.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €97.0

$83.7 ฿2,811

32.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 €548

$626 ฿21.0K

0.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 €433

$445 ฿14.9K

11.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 €1,011

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-43.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 €729

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-44.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,080 €2,691

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-11.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 €2,068

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-8.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,145 €1,000

$500 ฿16.8K

129.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.73

5.33

7.50%

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

Last update for Podgorica: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $627 in Podgorica and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Podgorica pays 129% 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: $47.00 in Podgorica vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $289, with Podgorica cheaper for home cooking.

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

Podgorica vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 129% higher in Podgorica, 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: $627 in Podgorica versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $284 in Podgorica versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Podgorica pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,309 in Podgorica, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Podgorica. 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 Podgorica, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Podgorica 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 5% less than in Podgorica. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.