😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,258 in Szombathely versus $1,232 in Phuket.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,005 in Szombathely versus $2,054 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,753 in Szombathely versus $2,876 in Phuket.
🌍Living in Szombathely is roughly 2% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Szombathely8% lower, Phuket10% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.59Ft 3,980
$4.41฿146
185.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.0Ft 17.7K
$32.26฿1,071
73.53%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.98Ft 2,839
$8.93฿297
0.56%
Cappuccino
$2.47Ft 780
$2.90฿96.1
-14.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40Ft 441
$0.88฿29.22
59.09%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33Ft 422
$0.48฿15.97
177.08%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.85Ft 586
$2.35฿78.1
-21.28%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42Ft 764
$3.72฿124
-34.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.23Ft 390
$1.87฿61.9
-34.22%
White Bread(500g)
$1.71Ft 540
$1.47฿48.68
16.33%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.45Ft 774
$1.55฿51.5
58.06%
Eggs
$3.43Ft 1,084
$2.10฿69.8
63.33%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$10.60Ft 3,352
$19.59฿650
-45.89%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$6.99Ft 2,211
$3.42฿114
104.39%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$16.95Ft 5,359
$11.38฿378
48.95%
Apples(1kg)
$2.31Ft 731
$2.98฿99.1
-22.48%
Banana(1kg)
$2.13Ft 675
$1.68฿55.9
26.79%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.56Ft 811
$2.21฿73.3
15.84%
Tomato(1kg)
$3.44Ft 1,086
$2.16฿71.8
59.26%
Potato(1kg)
$1.17Ft 369
$1.52฿50.6
-23.03%
Onion(1kg)
$1.44Ft 454
$1.34฿44.43
7.46%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.90Ft 601
$1.13฿37.47
68.14%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.61Ft 192
$0.55฿18.14
10.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$8.56Ft 2,708
$4.26฿142
100.94%
Wine(Bottle)
$4.73Ft 1,495
$19.09฿634
-75.22%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.32Ft 417
$1.78฿59.1
-25.84%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66Ft 841
$2.78฿92.4
-4.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.86Ft 273
$2.23฿74.0
-61.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$27.69Ft 8,755
$22.74฿755
21.77%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.85Ft 901
$3.03฿101
-5.94%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.40Ft 443
$1.02฿33.96
37.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$24.55Ft 7,762
$3.89฿129
531.11%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.89Ft 598
$1.49฿49.50
26.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8KFt 9.4M
$26.6K฿882.5K
12.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9KFt 10.7M
$27.0K฿897.4K
25.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$173Ft 54.6K
$102฿3,402
68.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.19Ft 6,700
$11.33฿376
87.03%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.29Ft 6,730
$17.40฿578
22.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$49.16Ft 15.5K
$52.1฿1,729
-5.61%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.03Ft 6,332
$11.07฿368
80.94%
Cinema Ticket
$4.63Ft 1,464
$7.69฿255
-39.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$437Ft 138.1K
$561฿18.6K
-22.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$8,042Ft 2.5M
$11.5K฿382.0K
-30.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104Ft 33.0K
$63.0฿2,093
65.64%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.5Ft 16.9K
$29.52฿980
81.27%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$99.1Ft 31.3K
$98.0฿3,254
1.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116Ft 36.7K
$88.5฿2,938
31.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$543Ft 171.8K
$738฿24.5K
-26.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$353Ft 111.7K
$482฿16.0K
-26.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$769Ft 243.3K
$2,107฿69.9K
-63.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$681Ft 215.2K
$1,226฿40.7K
-44.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,489Ft 786.9K
$3,617฿120.1K
-31.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,030Ft 641.9K
$2,603฿86.4K
-22.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Szombathely
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,186Ft 375.0K
$494฿16.4K
140.28%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.5
5.57
34.65%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Szombathely: September 12, 2026
Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $543 in Szombathely and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Szombathely pays 140% 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: $56.0 in Szombathely vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $265 vs $274, with Szombathely cheaper for home cooking.
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?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Szombathely or Phuket?
Average pay runs 140% 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: $543 in Szombathely versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $437 in Szombathely versus $561 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?
Shoppers in Szombathely pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Szombathely or in Phuket?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,258 in Szombathely, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Szombathely. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Szombathely or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Szombathely, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Szombathely. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.
Szombathely vs other spots: cost of living compared