Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Split and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,851 in Split, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Split, Croatia
Phuket, Thailand
Split
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,851
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Split 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 Split and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,851 in Split versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Split $1,851
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,848 in Split versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Split $2,848
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,844 in Split versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Split $3,844
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Split is roughly 45% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Split is 36% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Split
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.02 €15.25
$4.47 ฿151
280.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.1 €67.2
$32.41 ฿1,093
131.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.40 €10.21
$8.81 ฿297
29.40%
Cappuccino
$2.70 €2.42
$2.83 ฿95.4
-4.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.11 €3.68
$0.87 ฿29.41
372.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 €2.51
$0.49 ฿16.65
473.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.67 €4.18
$2.56 ฿86.3
82.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.18 €4.64
$3.68 ฿124
40.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Split
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.66 ฿55.9
-22.29%
White Bread (500g)
$2.13 €1.91
$1.46 ฿49.31
45.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.73 €3.34
$1.50 ฿50.5
148.67%
Eggs
$4.16 €3.73
$2.09 ฿70.5
99.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.71 €12.28
$19.07 ฿643
-28.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.50 €8.51
$3.30 ฿111
187.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.88 €11.54
$10.91 ฿368
18.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.19 €1.96
$2.93 ฿98.9
-25.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.83 €1.64
$1.69 ฿57.0
8.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.25 ฿75.8
-15.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 €2.58
$2.08 ฿70.0
38.46%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 €1.41
$1.51 ฿51.0
4.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.15 €1.03
$1.38 ฿46.52
-16.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 €1.16
$1.07 ฿35.96
20.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.15
$0.52 ฿17.51
146.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.71 €5.12
$4.20 ฿142
35.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.14 €8.18
$18.79 ฿634
-51.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.82 ฿61.5
-4.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.84 ฿95.8
-22.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Split
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.66 €1.49
$1.45 ฿48.98
14.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.84 €34.78
$56.7 ฿1,912
-31.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.80 €3.41
$3.02 ฿102
25.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.11 €1.89
$1.02 ฿34.33
106.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.30 €26.24
$3.69 ฿125
694.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.95 €1.75
$1.47 ฿49.76
32.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K €25.1K
$26.8K ฿903.4K
4.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K €22.1K
$26.7K ฿900.5K
-7.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Split
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$212 €190
$96.4 ฿3,251
120.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.36 €18.24
$11.26 ฿380
80.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.88 €36.61
$16.85 ฿568
142.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Split
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 €53.8
$67.2 ฿2,268
-10.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.12 €11.75
$10.73 ฿362
22.27%
Cinema Ticket
$10.60 €9.50
$7.50 ฿253
41.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Split
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$604 €541
$476 ฿16.1K
26.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.8K €10.6K
$11.3K ฿380.0K
4.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Split
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$93.2 €83.5
$62.4 ฿2,104
49.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.54 €35.41
$28.41 ฿958
39.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 €102
$94.3 ฿3,181
20.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.0 €87.7
$85.8 ฿2,895
14.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Split
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 €910
$716 ฿24.2K
41.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$722 €646
$491 ฿16.6K
47.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,906 €1,707
$1,927 ฿65.0K
-1.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,322 €1,184
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-7.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,099 €6,358
$4,175 ฿140.9K
70.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,158 €4,619
$3,045 ฿102.7K
69.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Split
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,410
$502 ฿16.9K
213.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.44
5.57
-38.24%

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

Last update for Split: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Split
$722
Phuket
$491 32% $231
Groceries & Markets
Split
$296
Phuket
$266 10% $30
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Split
$273
Phuket
$124 54.5% $149
Eating Out
Split
$264
Phuket
$122 53.9% $142
Clothing & Footwear
Split
$155
Phuket
$122 21.3% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Split
$81
Phuket
$82 1.2% $1
Getting Around
Split
$60
Phuket
$71 17.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Split and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Split pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Split vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇭🇷 Split
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
18:25 6:25 PM
00:25 12:25 AM
6 h ahead of Split
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,830
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Split Phuket 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Split
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Phuket cheaper than Split?
Phuket is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Split or Phuket?
Average pay in Split is about 3.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Split and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,016 in Split versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $604 in Split versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Split and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Split. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Split or in Phuket?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,851 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.
Is Split or Phuket more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Split or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Split and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Split on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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