🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Szombathely versus $1,264 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,635 in Szombathely versus $2,256 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,121 in Szombathely versus $3,248 in Phuket.
🌍Living in Szombathely costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Szombathely14% lower, Phuket5% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.41Ft 2,661
$4.48฿150
87.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$42.60Ft 13.5K
$45.59฿1,522
-6.56%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.59Ft 2,717
$8.76฿292
-1.94%
Cappuccino
$2.11Ft 667
$2.97฿99.1
-28.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11Ft 350
$0.69฿22.92
60.87%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99Ft 313
$0.39฿13.05
153.85%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.57Ft 496
$2.53฿84.5
-37.94%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22Ft 703
$3.75฿125
-40.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.07Ft 338
$2.15฿71.6
-50.23%
White Bread(500g)
$1.57Ft 496
$1.82฿60.6
-13.74%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.89Ft 597
$2.18฿73.0
-13.30%
Eggs
$2.41Ft 761
$2.25฿75.1
7.11%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.26Ft 2,929
$20.00฿668
-53.70%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.85Ft 1,849
$3.63฿121
61.16%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.18Ft 4,487
$13.56฿453
4.57%
Apples(1kg)
$1.93Ft 610
$3.24฿108
-40.43%
Banana(1kg)
$1.82Ft 577
$1.64฿54.6
10.98%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.18Ft 691
$2.33฿77.9
-6.44%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.92Ft 925
$2.07฿69.2
41.06%
Potato(1kg)
$1.17Ft 369
$1.55฿51.7
-24.52%
Onion(1kg)
$1.22Ft 387
$1.46฿48.58
-16.44%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.81Ft 573
$0.98฿32.88
84.69%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58Ft 184
$0.48฿16.11
20.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.07Ft 2,238
$4.35฿145
62.53%
Wine(Bottle)
$4.78Ft 1,513
$18.57฿620
-74.26%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.14Ft 361
$1.86฿62.0
-38.71%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56Ft 493
$2.65฿88.7
-41.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.79Ft 248
$1.42฿47.32
-44.37%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$18.17Ft 5,747
$11.57฿386
57.04%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.56Ft 811
$3.17฿106
-19.24%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.16Ft 366
$1.03฿34.45
12.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$22.12Ft 6,997
$13.89฿464
59.25%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.66Ft 524
$1.34฿44.88
23.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6KFt 8.7M
$27.8K฿927.9K
-0.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0KFt 8.2M
$33.4K฿1.1M
-22.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$162Ft 51.2K
$123฿4,109
31.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.23Ft 8,615
$13.77฿460
97.75%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.40Ft 6,137
$18.33฿612
5.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$45.24Ft 14.3K
$60.7฿2,026
-25.46%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.98Ft 5,372
$17.16฿573
-1.05%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27Ft 1,351
$8.87฿296
-51.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$396Ft 125.2K
$688฿23.0K
-42.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,137Ft 2.3M
$15.8K฿526.9K
-54.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$92.9Ft 29.4K
$59.3฿1,980
56.71%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.71Ft 14.1K
$34.69฿1,158
28.88%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$91.8Ft 29.0K
$115฿3,846
-20.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100Ft 31.7K
$83.8฿2,797
19.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$430Ft 136.1K
$621฿20.7K
-30.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$313Ft 99.0K
$446฿14.9K
-29.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$437Ft 138.4K
$2,034฿67.9K
-78.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$342Ft 108.3K
$1,496฿50.0K
-77.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,488Ft 787.1K
$3,455฿115.4K
-27.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,085Ft 659.4K
$2,531฿84.5K
-17.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,219Ft 385.6K
$494฿16.5K
146.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.5
5.33
40.71%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Szombathely: July 28, 2026
Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in Szombathely and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Szombathely pays 147% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $43.00 in Szombathely vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $291 per month, with Szombathely 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
Szombathely vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Szombathely?
Szombathely is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Szombathely or Phuket?
Average pay runs 147% higher in Szombathely, 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 Szombathely and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $430 in Szombathely versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $396 in Szombathely versus $688 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 Szombathely and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Szombathely or in Phuket?
At $1,149 in Szombathely versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Szombathely but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Szombathely the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Szombathely or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Szombathely is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Szombathely or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Szombathely 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Szombathely gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Szombathely vs other spots: cost of living compared