Cost of Living Comparison Between Pula and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pula and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,444 in Pula versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,386 in Pula versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,328 in Pula versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Pula is roughly 15% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pula is 8% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.77 €12.04

$4.55 ฿153

202.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 €65.3

$46.18 ฿1,554

61.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 €7.92

$8.84 ฿298

2.38%

Cappuccino

$2.43 €2.13

$3.06 ฿103

-20.59%

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

$3.25 €2.84

$0.73 ฿24.42

345.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.79

$0.40 ฿13.40

410.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 €3.08

$2.43 ฿81.8

44.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 €4.33

$3.78 ฿127

30.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.26 ฿76.0

-31.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.81 ฿60.9

-7.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 €3.14

$2.25 ฿75.8

59.56%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.70

$2.25 ฿75.6

88.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 €9.15

$19.51 ฿656

-46.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 €7.71

$3.65 ฿123

141.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 €9.53

$13.05 ฿439

-16.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.23 ฿109

-37.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 €1.42

$1.62 ฿54.4

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$2.38 ฿80.2

-9.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.41 €2.98

$2.03 ฿68.2

67.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.28

$1.53 ฿51.6

-4.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 €0.79

$1.50 ฿50.5

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.41 €1.24

$0.98 ฿32.93

43.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.19

$0.52 ฿17.40

161.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.31 €4.65

$4.44 ฿149

19.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 €6.55

$18.32 ฿616

-59.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.57

$1.86 ฿62.7

-3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.68 ฿90.2

-1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 €1.98

$1.41 ฿47.49

60.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.98 €30.60

$11.70 ฿394

198.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 €2.76

$3.11 ฿105

1.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 €0.89

$1.04 ฿35.08

-2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 €7.71

$14.11 ฿475

-37.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.31 ฿44.13

35.88%

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

$38.8K €33.9K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

39.42%

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

$27.6K €24.1K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-17.04%

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

$130 €113

$122 ฿4,120

5.93%

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

$23.58 €20.63

$13.59 ฿457

73.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.73 €28.64

$18.70 ฿629

75.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 €51.5

$60.5 ฿2,035

-2.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.62 €35.54

$16.98 ฿572

139.22%

Cinema Ticket

$16.05 €14.05

$9.07 ฿305

76.96%

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

$246 €215

$706 ฿23.8K

-65.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,283 €1,998

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-85.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.7 €82.0

$58.6 ฿1,970

60.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.59 €33.76

$35.36 ฿1,190

9.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 €146

$115 ฿3,885

44.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €99.4

$83.7 ฿2,818

35.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 €579

$626 ฿21.1K

5.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 €391

$445 ฿15.0K

0.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,180 €1,032

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-42.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 €783

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-39.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,199 €3,674

$3,483 ฿117.2K

20.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,460 €3,027

$2,577 ฿86.7K

34.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,520 €1,330

$500 ฿16.8K

204.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

5.33

-20.83%

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

Last update for Pula: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $662 in Pula and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pula pays 204% 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: $75.0 in Pula vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $289, with Pula 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

Pula vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 204% higher in Pula, 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: $662 in Pula versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $246 in Pula versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Pula pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,444 in Pula, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Pula. 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 Pula, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Pula 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 15% less than in Pula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.