Cost of Living Comparison Between Silves and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Silves and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Silves versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,343 in Silves versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,045 in Silves versus $3,329 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Silves is 22% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.64 €10.02

$4.70 ฿153

147.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.84 €39.46

$45.37 ฿1,482

1.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 €7.82

$8.43 ฿275

7.83%

Cappuccino

$2.22 €1.91

$2.93 ฿95.6

-24.23%

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

$1.91 €1.65

$0.69 ฿22.40

176.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.37 ฿11.99

270.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 €1.98

$2.41 ฿78.6

-4.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.01

$3.72 ฿122

-6.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.96

$2.23 ฿72.9

-50.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.83 ฿59.8

-13.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 €1.44

$2.17 ฿70.8

-22.58%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.74

$2.21 ฿72.3

43.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 €9.94

$19.74 ฿645

-41.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.68 €6.62

$3.63 ฿119

111.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 €12.15

$13.53 ฿442

4.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.28 ฿107

-29.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.61 ฿52.6

-11.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.41 ฿78.6

-21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.08 ฿68.1

21.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.53 ฿49.93

-5.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.48 ฿48.36

29.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.99 ฿32.29

65.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.75

$0.51 ฿16.67

72.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.20 €5.33

$4.41 ฿144

40.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.31 €4.57

$19.38 ฿633

-72.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.78 ฿58.1

-26.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$2.71 ฿88.6

-13.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.37 ฿44.79

72.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.31 €35.56

$11.39 ฿372

262.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.51

$3.02 ฿98.6

35.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 €0.74

$0.99 ฿32.48

-13.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €14.73

$14.10 ฿461

21.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.36 ฿44.51

45.59%

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

$34.7K €29.9K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

23.13%

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

$39.4K €33.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

19.85%

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

$137 €118

$122 ฿3,975

12.18%

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

$21.36 €18.39

$13.57 ฿443

57.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.71 €35.90

$18.31 ฿598

127.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 €37.27

$60.2 ฿1,967

-28.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.61 €7.41

$8.69 ฿284

-0.92%

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

$473 €407

$693 ฿22.6K

-31.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,237 €7,091

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-47.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.2 €63.0

$59.5 ฿1,944

22.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.83 €33.42

$34.77 ฿1,136

11.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 €79.1

$115 ฿3,743

-19.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.8 €83.3

$83.3 ฿2,720

16.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 €783

$613 ฿20.0K

48.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$744 €641

$437 ฿14.3K

70.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 €1,290

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-28.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,140 €981

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-24.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,383 €2,912

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-9.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,342 €2,016

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-10.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$989 €852

$508 ฿16.6K

94.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

5.33

-6.00%

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

Last update for Silves: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $909 in Silves and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Silves pays 95% 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 Silves vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $293, with Silves 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

Silves vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Silves pays 95% more on average, 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: $909 in Silves versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $473 in Silves versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Silves pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,641 in Silves, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Silves. 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 Silves, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Silves 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 Silves. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.