🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,136 in Szombathely versus $1,232 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,615 in Szombathely versus $2,255 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,095 in Szombathely versus $3,279 in Phuket.
🙂Living in Szombathely costs roughly 8% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Szombathely15% lower, Phuket8% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.69Ft 2,713
$4.63฿151
87.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.04Ft 13.4K
$46.84฿1,532
-8.11%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.51Ft 2,654
$8.84฿289
-3.73%
Cappuccino
$2.20Ft 686
$3.00฿98.0
-26.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09Ft 340
$0.74฿24.25
47.30%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.00Ft 311
$0.37฿11.95
170.27%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.56Ft 487
$2.44฿79.8
-36.07%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15Ft 670
$3.61฿118
-40.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.10Ft 342
$2.26฿73.9
-51.33%
White Bread(500g)
$1.55Ft 483
$1.84฿60.1
-15.76%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.90Ft 594
$2.24฿73.4
-15.18%
Eggs
$2.44Ft 761
$2.32฿75.7
5.17%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$9.44Ft 2,944
$19.67฿643
-52.01%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.02Ft 1,880
$3.65฿119
64.93%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$14.43Ft 4,504
$13.10฿428
10.15%
Apples(1kg)
$1.91Ft 596
$3.39฿111
-43.66%
Banana(1kg)
$1.84Ft 573
$1.64฿53.7
12.20%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.11Ft 658
$2.41฿79.0
-12.45%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.81Ft 876
$2.03฿66.4
38.42%
Potato(1kg)
$1.12Ft 351
$1.56฿50.9
-28.21%
Onion(1kg)
$1.24Ft 386
$1.50฿48.94
-17.33%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.73Ft 540
$1.02฿33.50
69.61%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58Ft 180
$0.49฿16.00
18.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$7.38Ft 2,301
$4.45฿145
65.84%
Wine(Bottle)
$4.72Ft 1,472
$18.88฿617
-75.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.17Ft 365
$1.78฿58.1
-34.27%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63Ft 507
$2.75฿90.1
-40.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.81Ft 254
$1.40฿45.81
-42.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$18.26Ft 5,697
$11.48฿376
59.06%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.62Ft 817
$3.12฿102
-16.03%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.16Ft 363
$1.00฿32.67
16.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$22.65Ft 7,067
$14.09฿461
60.75%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.65Ft 516
$1.35฿44.19
22.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5KFt 8.6M
$27.2K฿888.9K
0.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6KFt 8.0M
$32.9K฿1.1M
-22.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$167Ft 52.0K
$125฿4,087
33.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.84Ft 8,685
$13.57฿444
105.16%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.33Ft 6,030
$18.52฿606
4.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$45.57Ft 14.2K
$61.5฿2,010
-25.88%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.58Ft 5,173
$16.84฿551
-1.54%
Cinema Ticket
$4.24Ft 1,323
$9.19฿300
-53.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$403Ft 125.7K
$698฿22.8K
-42.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$7,179Ft 2.2M
$15.6K฿509.9K
-53.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.9Ft 28.7K
$57.8฿1,889
59.05%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.15Ft 14.1K
$35.24฿1,152
28.12%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$93.1Ft 29.0K
$113฿3,699
-17.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8Ft 30.8K
$86.4฿2,825
14.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$434Ft 135.4K
$616฿20.1K
-29.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$319Ft 99.5K
$446฿14.6K
-28.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$433Ft 135.0K
$2,048฿67.0K
-78.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$346Ft 107.9K
$1,492฿48.8K
-76.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,561Ft 799.2K
$3,779฿123.6K
-32.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,081Ft 649.4K
$2,649฿86.6K
-21.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,213Ft 378.4K
$524฿17.1K
131.51%
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: April 28, 2026
Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Szombathely and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Szombathely pays 132% 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 $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $292 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 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Szombathely or Phuket?
Szombathely pays 132% more on average, 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: $434 in Szombathely versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $403 in Szombathely versus $698 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 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 Szombathely or Phuket?
At $1,136 in Szombathely versus $1,232 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 8% 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