Cost of Living Comparison Between Solingen and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Solingen and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,116 in Solingen versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,218 in Solingen versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,320 in Solingen versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Solingen is roughly 69% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Solingen is 54% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 €17.23

$4.56 ฿150

339.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.0 €70.5

$32.62 ฿1,073

151.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.07 €12.10

$8.90 ฿293

58.09%

Cappuccino

$4.10 €3.52

$2.80 ฿92.2

46.43%

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

$3.43 €2.95

$0.88 ฿28.94

289.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 €2.72

$0.49 ฿16.08

546.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 €4.41

$2.39 ฿78.5

114.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 €4.05

$3.71 ฿122

26.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.79 ฿58.8

-20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.06

$1.44 ฿47.40

65.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €2.92

$1.58 ฿52.1

115.19%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.42

$2.13 ฿69.9

86.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.05 €14.65

$19.92 ฿655

-14.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.26 €11.40

$3.43 ฿113

286.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.20 €21.66

$11.33 ฿372

122.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 €2.84

$2.95 ฿97.0

11.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.72 ฿56.6

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.32 ฿76.5

-2.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 €3.64

$2.08 ฿68.4

103.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.47 ฿48.34

-13.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.36 ฿44.65

-5.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.10 ฿36.13

57.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.08

$0.57 ฿18.89

121.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 €8.56

$4.27 ฿140

133.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.77 €4.96

$18.42 ฿606

-68.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.87 ฿61.5

-41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.36

$2.92 ฿96.1

-45.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.22 ฿73.0

28.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 €57.6

$22.90 ฿753

192.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.15 €4.43

$3.03 ฿99.6

69.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 €2.64

$1.07 ฿35.32

186.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.98 €35.23

$3.93 ฿129

942.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.49 ฿49.06

44.97%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

27.29%

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

$39.7K €34.1K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

44.55%

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

$375 €322

$103 ฿3,380

264.53%

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

$19.97 €17.17

$10.99 ฿361

81.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.43 €39.06

$17.51 ฿576

159.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 €59.2

$53.5 ฿1,760

28.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$15.85 €13.63

$7.48 ฿246

111.90%

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

$479 €412

$557 ฿18.3K

-13.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,682 €8,324

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-18.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.5 €84.7

$64.1 ฿2,107

53.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.06 €37.88

$29.07 ฿956

51.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €99.1

$96.0 ฿3,155

20.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$177 €152

$90.3 ฿2,970

96.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 €739

$730 ฿24.0K

17.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 €543

$500 ฿16.4K

26.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 €1,249

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-30.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 €910

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-12.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,149 €4,426

$3,596 ฿118.2K

43.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,720 €4,058

$2,512 ฿82.6K

87.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,532 €4,756

$503 ฿16.6K

999.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

5.57

-29.08%

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

Last update for Solingen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $860 in Solingen and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Solingen pays 999% 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: $82.0 in Solingen vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 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

Solingen vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 999% higher in Solingen, 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: $860 in Solingen versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $479 in Solingen 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 35% higher in Solingen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,116 in Solingen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Solingen. 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 Solingen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Solingen 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 69% less than in Solingen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.