Cost of Living Comparison Between Portlaoise and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Portlaoise and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,447 in Portlaoise versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,879 in Portlaoise versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,310 in Portlaoise versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Portlaoise is roughly 95% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Portlaoise is 78% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.70 €18.72

$4.56 ฿152

375.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €58.9

$32.62 ฿1,086

109.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.39 €10.69

$8.90 ฿296

39.21%

Cappuccino

$4.48 €3.86

$2.80 ฿93.4

60.00%

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

$2.62 €2.26

$0.88 ฿29.31

197.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.48

$0.49 ฿16.29

248.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 €6.15

$2.39 ฿79.5

198.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.03

$3.71 ฿124

57.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.79 ฿59.5

-5.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.06

$1.44 ฿48.00

65.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.58 ฿52.8

20.89%

Eggs

$4.79 €4.13

$2.13 ฿70.8

124.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.54 €12.54

$19.92 ฿663

-27.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 €11.56

$3.43 ฿114

290.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.48 €15.08

$11.33 ฿377

54.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 €2.88

$2.95 ฿98.2

13.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.98 €2.57

$1.72 ฿57.3

73.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 €2.97

$2.32 ฿77.4

48.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 €4.39

$2.08 ฿69.3

144.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$1.47 ฿48.96

65.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.36 ฿45.22

35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.10 ฿36.59

32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.92

$0.57 ฿19.13

289.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.76 €17.91

$4.27 ฿142

386.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.08 €12.14

$18.42 ฿613

-23.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.21 €3.63

$1.87 ฿62.3

125.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 €3.18

$2.92 ฿97.3

26.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.73 €4.08

$2.22 ฿73.9

113.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.16 €39.81

$22.90 ฿762

101.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 €4.62

$3.03 ฿101

76.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.07 ฿35.77

48.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.33 €29.61

$3.93 ฿131

773.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.49 ฿49.68

36.91%

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

$40.4K €34.9K

$27.1K ฿903.4K

49.03%

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

$38.7K €33.4K

$27.5K ฿914.1K

40.96%

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

$251 €217

$103 ฿3,423

144.61%

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

$22.93 €19.78

$10.99 ฿366

108.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 €50.5

$17.51 ฿583

234.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 €51.0

$53.5 ฿1,783

10.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$14.18 €12.23

$7.48 ฿249

89.57%

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

$1,124 €969

$557 ฿18.5K

101.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,500 €4,744

$11.9K ฿394.7K

-53.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.5 €84.1

$64.1 ฿2,134

52.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.13 €38.93

$29.07 ฿968

55.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.3

$96.0 ฿3,195

11.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$90.3 ฿3,008

28.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,114

$730 ฿24.3K

76.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 €886

$500 ฿16.6K

105.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,403 €2,073

$2,090 ฿69.6K

14.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,230 €1,923

$1,209 ฿40.3K

84.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿83.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,306 €2,851

$503 ฿16.8K

556.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.57

-37.16%

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

Last update for Portlaoise: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,292 in Portlaoise and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portlaoise pays 557% 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: $68.0 in Portlaoise vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $273 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Portlaoise vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 557% higher in Portlaoise, 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: $1,292 in Portlaoise versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,124 in Portlaoise versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Portlaoise. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,447 in Portlaoise, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Portlaoise. 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 Portlaoise, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Portlaoise 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 95% less than in Portlaoise. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.