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: $1,624 in Rijeka versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,498 in Rijeka versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,373 in Rijeka versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Rijeka is roughly 30% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rijeka is 18% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.89 €11.98

$4.56 ฿152

204.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 €64.0

$32.62 ฿1,086

127.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 €9.12

$8.90 ฿296

18.76%

Cappuccino

$2.34 €2.02

$2.80 ฿93.4

-16.43%

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

$3.19 €2.75

$0.88 ฿29.31

262.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.49 ฿16.29

308.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 €3.38

$2.39 ฿79.5

64.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.95

$3.71 ฿124

23.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.79 ฿59.5

-31.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.44 ฿48.00

15.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 €3.06

$1.58 ฿52.8

124.05%

Eggs

$3.86 €3.33

$2.13 ฿70.8

81.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.83 €14.52

$19.92 ฿663

-15.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 €9.00

$3.43 ฿114

204.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 €12.67

$11.33 ฿377

29.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.95 ฿98.2

-40.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.72 ฿57.3

4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$2.32 ฿77.4

-17.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.08 ฿69.3

27.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.47 ฿48.96

-2.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.36 ฿45.22

-3.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.10 ฿36.59

23.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.57 ฿19.13

140.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 €5.30

$4.27 ฿142

43.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.16 €7.04

$18.42 ฿613

-55.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.87 ฿62.3

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.91

$2.92 ฿97.3

-24.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.22 ฿73.9

3.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 €48.93

$22.90 ฿762

147.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.96

$3.03 ฿101

90.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.07 ฿35.77

38.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.41 €25.37

$3.93 ฿131

648.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.49 ฿49.68

30.87%

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

$27.4K €23.6K

$27.1K ฿903.4K

0.92%

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

$25.8K €22.3K

$27.5K ฿914.1K

-6.00%

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

$192 €166

$103 ฿3,423

87.23%

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

$24.89 €21.46

$10.99 ฿366

126.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 €35.11

$17.51 ฿583

132.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.89

$53.5 ฿1,783

3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 €9.87

$11.20 ฿373

2.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 €6.04

$7.48 ฿249

-6.42%

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

$558 €481

$557 ฿18.5K

0.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K €11.4K

$11.9K ฿394.7K

11.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.6

$64.1 ฿2,134

62.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.90 €37.00

$29.07 ฿968

47.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €90.8

$96.0 ฿3,195

9.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 €98.9

$90.3 ฿3,008

26.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$727 €627

$730 ฿24.3K

-0.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 €478

$500 ฿16.6K

10.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 €1,067

$2,090 ฿69.6K

-40.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$892 €770

$1,209 ฿40.3K

-26.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,274 €3,686

$3,596 ฿119.7K

18.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,159 €3,587

$2,512 ฿83.7K

65.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,525 €1,315

$503 ฿16.8K

202.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

5.57

-33.03%

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

Last update for Rijeka: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $727 in Rijeka and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rijeka pays 203% 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: $74.0 in Rijeka vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 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

Rijeka 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 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 203% 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: $727 in Rijeka versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Rijeka 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 11% higher in Rijeka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,624 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 30% less than in Rijeka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.