Cost of Living Comparison Between Rethymno and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rethymno and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,488 in Rethymno versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,273 in Rethymno versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,059 in Rethymno versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Rethymno is roughly 19% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rethymno is 11% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.82 €12.09

$4.55 ฿153

203.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.74 €40.02

$46.18 ฿1,554

-0.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 €10.05

$8.84 ฿298

29.86%

Cappuccino

$3.39 €2.96

$3.06 ฿103

10.78%

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

$1.76 €1.54

$0.73 ฿24.42

141.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 €0.43

$0.40 ฿13.40

22.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €4.93

$2.43 ฿81.8

132.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 €5.05

$3.78 ฿127

52.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.67

$2.26 ฿76.0

-15.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.81 ฿60.9

-17.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 €2.38

$2.25 ฿75.8

20.89%

Eggs

$4.29 €3.75

$2.25 ฿75.6

90.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 €15.14

$19.51 ฿656

-11.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 €10.22

$3.65 ฿123

220.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.93 €13.06

$13.05 ฿439

14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.97

$3.23 ฿109

-30.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$1.62 ฿54.4

35.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 €1.32

$2.38 ฿80.2

-36.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.64

$2.03 ฿68.2

-7.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 €0.68

$1.53 ฿51.6

-49.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.50 ฿50.5

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 €0.76

$0.98 ฿32.93

-11.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 €0.30

$0.52 ฿17.40

-34.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 €4.53

$4.44 ฿149

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €5.93

$18.32 ฿616

-62.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.65

$1.86 ฿62.7

1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.68 ฿90.2

26.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.41 ฿47.49

7.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.95 €40.20

$11.70 ฿394

292.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 €4.00

$3.11 ฿105

46.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.38 €9.96

$14.11 ฿475

-19.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.90

$1.31 ฿44.13

65.65%

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

$35.0K €30.6K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

25.93%

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

$26.1K €22.9K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-21.30%

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

$162 €142

$122 ฿4,120

32.15%

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

$20.03 €17.53

$13.59 ฿457

47.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.02 €28.89

$18.70 ฿629

76.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.91 €42.79

$60.5 ฿2,035

-19.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 €6.92

$9.07 ฿305

-12.90%

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

$384 €336

$706 ฿23.8K

-45.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,200 €3,674

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-73.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.4 €84.4

$58.6 ฿1,970

64.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.78 €40.05

$35.36 ฿1,190

29.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 €79.0

$115 ฿3,885

-21.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 €119

$83.7 ฿2,818

62.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 €500

$626 ฿21.1K

-8.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$436 €381

$445 ฿15.0K

-2.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$971 €849

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-52.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 €680

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-47.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,912 €3,423

$3,483 ฿117.2K

12.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,861 €2,503

$2,577 ฿86.7K

11.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,148 €1,005

$500 ฿16.8K

129.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

5.33

-19.32%

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

Last update for Rethymno: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $571 in Rethymno and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rethymno pays 130% 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 Rethymno vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $289, with Phuket 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

Rethymno vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 130% higher in Rethymno, 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: $571 in Rethymno versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $384 in Rethymno versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Rethymno. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,488 in Rethymno, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rethymno. 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 Rethymno, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rethymno 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 19% less than in Rethymno. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.