Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,797 in Split versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,833 in Split versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,868 in Split versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Split is roughly 46% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Split is 34% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.08

$4.63 ฿151

281.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 €68.4

$46.84 ฿1,523

70.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 €7.71

$8.84 ฿287

2.15%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.42

$3.00 ฿97.4

-5.67%

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

$3.58 €3.06

$0.74 ฿24.11

383.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.39

$0.37 ฿11.88

654.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.56

$2.44 ฿79.3

118.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 €4.24

$3.61 ฿117

37.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.22

$2.26 ฿73.5

-36.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.84 ฿59.8

5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 €3.33

$2.24 ฿73.0

74.11%

Eggs

$3.76 €3.21

$2.32 ฿75.3

62.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 €10.92

$19.67 ฿639

-35.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 €8.27

$3.65 ฿119

165.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 €11.79

$13.10 ฿426

5.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 €1.64

$3.39 ฿110

-43.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.64 ฿53.4

14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 €2.02

$2.41 ฿78.5

-2.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$2.03 ฿66.0

16.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 €1.30

$1.56 ฿50.6

-2.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 €1.23

$1.50 ฿48.66

-3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.26

$1.02 ฿33.30

45.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.09

$0.49 ฿15.91

161.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 €5.02

$4.45 ฿145

32.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.16 €7.82

$18.88 ฿614

-51.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.78 ฿57.7

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.02

$2.75 ฿89.5

-13.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.40 ฿45.54

22.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.07 €33.36

$11.48 ฿373

240.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 €2.98

$3.12 ฿101

11.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 €1.73

$1.00 ฿32.48

102.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.35 €7.99

$14.09 ฿458

-33.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.45

$1.35 ฿43.93

25.93%

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

$38.0K €32.5K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

39.88%

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

$26.1K €22.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-20.83%

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

$210 €179

$125 ฿4,063

67.83%

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

$23.40 €19.98

$13.57 ฿441

72.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 €29.70

$18.52 ฿602

87.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 €52.3

$61.5 ฿1,999

-0.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.51 €12.39

$16.84 ฿547

-13.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.86

$9.19 ฿299

0.11%

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

$192 €164

$698 ฿22.7K

-72.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,040 €7,720

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-42.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 €72.2

$57.8 ฿1,878

46.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.30 €34.41

$35.24 ฿1,146

14.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €92.6

$113 ฿3,677

-4.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €89.6

$86.4 ฿2,808

21.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$959 €819

$616 ฿20.0K

55.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 €594

$446 ฿14.5K

55.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 €1,607

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-8.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 €1,066

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-16.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,059 €6,028

$3,779 ฿122.8K

86.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,951 €4,228

$2,649 ฿86.1K

86.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,695 €1,447

$524 ฿17.0K

223.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

5.33

-19.89%

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

Last update for Split: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $959 in Split and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Split pays 224% 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: $80.0 in Split vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $292 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

Split 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 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Split pays 224% 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: $959 in Split versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $192 in Split versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Split. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,797 in Split, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Split. 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 Split, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Split 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 46% less than in Split. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.