Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,577 in Rijeka, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Rijeka
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Rijeka Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Rijeka

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,577

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rijeka and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rijeka and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,577 in Rijeka versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Rijeka $1,577
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Rijeka versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Rijeka $2,412
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Rijeka versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Rijeka $3,248
Phuket $2,867

Living in Rijeka is roughly 31% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rijeka is 17% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 €11.69

$4.58 ฿153

186.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.2 €65.1

$32.48 ฿1,086

125.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 €8.98

$8.55 ฿286

18.13%

Cappuccino

$2.35 €2.09

$2.72 ฿91.0

-13.60%

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

$3.03 €2.70

$0.94 ฿31.25

222.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.74

$0.49 ฿16.39

297.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.86 €3.43

$2.59 ฿86.6

49.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 €3.88

$3.83 ฿128

14.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.74 ฿58.1

-28.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.43 ฿47.82

6.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 €2.93

$1.53 ฿51.0

115.03%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.31

$2.17 ฿72.7

71.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.64 €13.91

$19.15 ฿640

-18.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 €9.12

$3.30 ฿110

210.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 €12.64

$11.14 ฿372

27.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$2.95 ฿98.5

-44.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$1.68 ฿56.1

4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.63

$2.30 ฿76.8

-20.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.13 ฿71.3

23.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.53 ฿51.1

-10.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.36 ฿45.55

-2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.12 ฿37.44

17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 €1.20

$0.55 ฿18.24

145.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 €5.26

$4.26 ฿142

38.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 €6.92

$18.19 ฿608

-57.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.74 ฿58.2

-7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 €1.88

$2.79 ฿93.3

-24.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 €1.97

$2.22 ฿74.1

-0.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.4 €48.37

$22.06 ฿737

146.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.73 €5.10

$2.91 ฿97.3

96.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.01 ฿33.79

42.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.76 €24.70

$3.83 ฿128

624.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.49 ฿49.85

24.16%

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

$26.0K €23.1K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-2.51%

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

$24.7K €21.9K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

-7.63%

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

$185 €164

$99.4 ฿3,321

85.93%

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

$23.53 €20.93

$11.28 ฿377

108.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.52 €34.26

$17.36 ฿580

121.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €48.13

$52.3 ฿1,747

3.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.04 €9.82

$10.85 ฿362

1.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 €5.96

$7.57 ฿253

-11.49%

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

$538 €479

$558 ฿18.7K

-3.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

11.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.9 €88.8

$62.9 ฿2,102

58.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.00 €37.36

$28.58 ฿955

46.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €89.9

$96.1 ฿3,213

5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €95.8

$88.1 ฿2,943

22.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$693 €616

$729 ฿24.4K

-5.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 €467

$460 ฿15.4K

14.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,205 €1,072

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-42.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$859 €764

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-29.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,045 €3,598

$3,459 ฿115.6K

16.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,954 €3,517

$2,489 ฿83.2K

58.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,494 €1,329

$493 ฿16.5K

203.02%

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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rijeka

$525 33.3%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 12.4% $65

Groceries & Markets

Rijeka

$292 18.5%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 8.4% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rijeka

$247 15.7%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 48.1% $119

Eating Out

Rijeka

$212 13.4%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 42.7% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Rijeka

$158 10%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 21.4% $34

Getting Around

Rijeka

$76 4.8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 48.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Rijeka

$68 4.3%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $693 in Rijeka and $729 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: $73.0 in Rijeka vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Rijeka

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

21:56 9:56 PM

5 h ahead of Rijeka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,964

79,308

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Rijeka Phuket 8,910 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

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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, eating out, and clothing. The 31% 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: $693 in Rijeka versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $538 in Rijeka versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Rijeka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,577 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 31% less than in Rijeka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.