Cost of Living Comparison Between Rhodes and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rhodes and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,829 in Rhodes versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,845 in Rhodes versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,861 in Rhodes versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Rhodes is roughly 45% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rhodes is 33% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.27 €16.61

$4.66 ฿154

313.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €59.5

$32.22 ฿1,065

114.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 €8.60

$8.68 ฿287

14.86%

Cappuccino

$4.57 €3.94

$2.90 ฿95.8

57.59%

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

$2.60 €2.24

$0.84 ฿27.89

209.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.82

$0.49 ฿16.16

93.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €4.95

$2.48 ฿82.0

131.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.91

$3.73 ฿123

21.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.91

$1.89 ฿62.3

16.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.41 ฿46.54

37.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 €4.52

$1.62 ฿53.6

224.07%

Eggs

$6.66 €5.74

$2.24 ฿74.1

197.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.97 €14.63

$19.84 ฿656

-14.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.27

$3.48 ฿115

242.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 €16.42

$11.37 ฿376

67.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.90 ฿95.8

-23.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.93

$1.72 ฿57.0

30.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.36

$2.27 ฿75.1

-30.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$2.13 ฿70.4

19.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.47 ฿48.72

19.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.42 ฿46.92

42.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.10 ฿36.25

21.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.66

$0.60 ฿19.76

28.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.19 €4.48

$4.31 ฿142

20.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 €6.99

$18.60 ฿615

-56.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 €2.31

$1.80 ฿59.5

48.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.45

$2.97 ฿98.0

-43.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 €2.22

$2.25 ฿74.2

14.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.6 €65.2

$23.49 ฿776

221.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 €2.97

$3.10 ฿102

11.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.08 ฿35.56

37.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.60 €10.00

$3.87 ฿128

199.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.43 ฿47.16

53.15%

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

$28.7K €24.8K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

3.35%

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

$26.5K €22.8K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-1.82%

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

$229 €197

$105 ฿3,462

118.04%

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

$27.31 €23.54

$11.39 ฿376

139.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.61 €27.25

$17.54 ฿580

80.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.4 €52.9

$54.3 ฿1,795

12.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.51 €34.92

$11.44 ฿378

254.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.23 €7.96

$7.78 ฿257

18.64%

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

$491 €424

$576 ฿19.0K

-14.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,552 €8,233

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-17.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$159 €137

$63.6 ฿2,103

150.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.28 €29.55

$29.10 ฿961

17.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €98.5

$96.2 ฿3,179

18.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €144

$90.0 ฿2,974

84.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 €514

$733 ฿24.2K

-18.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 €407

$501 ฿16.5K

-5.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €919

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-49.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 €693

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-35.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,799 €3,275

$3,534 ฿116.8K

7.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,815 €1,564

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-30.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,388 €1,196

$508 ฿16.8K

173.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

5.57

-18.67%

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

Last update for Rhodes: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $596 in Rhodes and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rhodes pays 173% 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: $69.0 in Rhodes vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $275 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

Rhodes vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 173% higher in Rhodes, 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: $596 in Rhodes versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in Rhodes versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Rhodes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,829 in Rhodes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rhodes. 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 Rhodes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rhodes 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 45% less than in Rhodes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.