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: $1,380 in Podgorica versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,149 in Podgorica versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,917 in Podgorica versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Podgorica is roughly 10% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Podgorica is 0% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 €9.90

$4.56 ฿151

151.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.41 €40.05

$32.62 ฿1,082

42.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 €8.86

$8.90 ฿295

15.39%

Cappuccino

$2.31 €1.99

$2.80 ฿93.0

-17.50%

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

$2.63 €2.27

$0.88 ฿29.19

198.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.25

$0.49 ฿16.23

193.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 €2.71

$2.39 ฿79.2

31.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.06

$3.71 ฿123

-4.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.79 ฿59.3

-20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.44 ฿47.81

-29.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.58 ฿52.6

29.75%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.05

$2.13 ฿70.5

65.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 €7.76

$19.92 ฿661

-54.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 €7.42

$3.43 ฿114

150.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 €11.05

$11.33 ฿376

13.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$2.95 ฿97.8

-42.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.72 ฿57.1

6.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.32 ฿77.1

-15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 €2.08

$2.08 ฿69.0

15.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 €0.85

$1.47 ฿48.77

-32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.36 ฿45.05

-21.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.10 ฿36.45

58.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.57 ฿19.06

40.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 €3.88

$4.27 ฿142

5.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.90 €5.09

$18.42 ฿611

-67.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.87 ฿62.1

-42.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.92 ฿96.9

-35.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 €0.92

$2.22 ฿73.6

-51.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 €30.05

$22.90 ฿759

52.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 €0.71

$3.03 ฿101

-72.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.07 ฿35.63

-20.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.51 €9.93

$3.93 ฿130

192.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.49 ฿49.49

24.83%

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

$32.3K €27.8K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

18.95%

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

$28.1K €24.2K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

2.23%

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

$127 €109

$103 ฿3,410

23.08%

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

$20.04 €17.29

$10.99 ฿365

82.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.01 €30.21

$17.51 ฿581

99.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.66 €40.27

$53.5 ฿1,776

-12.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.52 €11.67

$11.20 ฿371

20.71%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 €5.92

$7.48 ฿248

-8.29%

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

$375 €324

$557 ฿18.5K

-32.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,659 €6,609

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-35.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 €78.6

$64.1 ฿2,125

42.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.43 €41.79

$29.07 ฿964

66.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 €85.9

$96.0 ฿3,183

3.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €98.6

$90.3 ฿2,997

26.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 €568

$730 ฿24.2K

-9.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 €451

$500 ฿16.6K

4.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 €1,190

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-34.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 €863

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-17.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,132 €2,702

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-12.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,342 €2,021

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-6.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,187 €1,025

$503 ฿16.7K

135.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.57

-4.67%

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

Last update for Podgorica: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Podgorica and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Podgorica pays 136% 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: $46.00 in Podgorica vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $237 vs $273, 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 136% 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: $658 in Podgorica versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $375 in Podgorica versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Podgorica pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,380 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 10% less than in Podgorica. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.