Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,603 in Rijeka versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,369 in Rijeka versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,135 in Rijeka versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Rijeka is roughly 28% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rijeka is 20% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.91 €11.28

$4.55 ฿153

183.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €60.1

$46.18 ฿1,550

48.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 €9.10

$8.84 ฿297

17.76%

Cappuccino

$2.28 €1.99

$3.06 ฿103

-25.49%

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

$3.53 €3.08

$0.73 ฿24.36

383.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.91

$0.40 ฿13.37

445.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 €3.65

$2.43 ฿81.6

72.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.78 ฿127

24.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$2.26 ฿75.8

-45.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.41

$1.81 ฿60.8

-11.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 €3.49

$2.25 ฿75.7

77.33%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.08

$2.25 ฿75.4

56.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.15 €14.11

$19.51 ฿655

-17.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.75 €9.39

$3.65 ฿122

194.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 €12.87

$13.05 ฿438

12.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 €1.46

$3.23 ฿109

-48.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$1.62 ฿54.3

4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.38 ฿80.0

-28.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.30

$2.03 ฿68.0

29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 €1.03

$1.53 ฿51.5

-22.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.50 ฿50.4

-15.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 €0.98

$0.98 ฿32.85

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.07

$0.52 ฿17.36

134.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.89 €5.15

$4.44 ฿149

32.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.81

$18.32 ฿615

-57.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.86 ฿62.6

-13.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.68 ฿90.0

-22.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.69

$1.41 ฿47.37

37.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.9 €48.86

$11.70 ฿393

377.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 €5.14

$3.11 ฿104

89.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.04 ฿35.00

25.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.63 €25.02

$14.11 ฿474

102.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.55

$1.31 ฿44.02

35.11%

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

$38.6K €33.8K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

38.92%

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

$25.9K €22.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-22.13%

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

$184 €161

$122 ฿4,110

50.15%

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

$22.25 €19.44

$13.59 ฿456

63.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.59 €29.35

$18.70 ฿628

79.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 €45.42

$60.5 ฿2,031

-14.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.08 €13.17

$16.98 ฿570

-11.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.17 €8.01

$9.07 ฿305

1.10%

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

$285 €249

$706 ฿23.7K

-59.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.3K

$15.8K ฿530.5K

3.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.8 €79.3

$58.6 ฿1,965

55.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 €30.20

$35.36 ฿1,187

-2.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €88.0

$115 ฿3,876

-12.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €92.6

$83.7 ฿2,811

26.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 €579

$626 ฿21.0K

5.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 €468

$445 ฿14.9K

20.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 €924

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-48.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 €678

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-47.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,153 €3,628

$3,483 ฿116.9K

19.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,977 €3,475

$2,577 ฿86.5K

54.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,550 €1,354

$500 ฿16.8K

210.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

5.33

-13.13%

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

Last update for Rijeka: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $663 in Rijeka and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rijeka pays 210% 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 Rijeka vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $289 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

Rijeka 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 210% higher in Rijeka, 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: $663 in Rijeka versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $285 in Rijeka 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 3% higher in Rijeka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,603 in Rijeka, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rijeka. 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 Rijeka, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Rijeka 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 28% less than in Rijeka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.