Cost of Living Comparison Between Thiva and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Thiva and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,220 in Thiva versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,957 in Thiva versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,695 in Thiva versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Thiva costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Thiva 9% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 €11.52

$4.66 ฿150

189.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.4 €48.96

$46.44 ฿1,496

23.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 €6.04

$8.68 ฿280

-18.43%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.18

$2.95 ฿95.0

-13.56%

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

$1.68 €1.43

$0.70 ฿22.52

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.43

$0.39 ฿12.70

28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.77 €4.07

$2.53 ฿81.6

88.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.40

$3.78 ฿122

-25.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.32

$2.22 ฿71.5

-30.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.34

$1.80 ฿57.8

-12.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 €1.80

$2.19 ฿70.4

-3.65%

Eggs

$4.22 €3.60

$2.31 ฿74.5

82.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.56 €11.57

$19.34 ฿623

-29.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 €8.36

$3.77 ฿121

159.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 €11.15

$13.22 ฿426

-1.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 €1.51

$3.33 ฿107

-46.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.65 ฿53.1

14.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 €0.96

$2.29 ฿73.7

-50.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.59

$1.99 ฿64.1

-6.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 €0.84

$1.53 ฿49.24

-35.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.05

$1.51 ฿48.77

-18.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 €0.81

$1.03 ฿33.12

-8.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 €0.38

$0.51 ฿16.57

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 €4.26

$4.41 ฿142

13.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.63 €5.65

$19.41 ฿625

-65.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.43

$1.80 ฿58.0

-7.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.66

$2.68 ฿86.4

-27.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.43 ฿46.11

-1.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 €40.25

$11.70 ฿377

303.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 €3.17

$3.04 ฿97.9

22.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.75 €11.73

$13.68 ฿441

0.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 €1.83

$1.30 ฿41.85

65.38%

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

$31.2K €26.6K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

11.73%

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

$29.8K €25.4K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-9.91%

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

$187 €160

$123 ฿3,962

52.40%

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

$23.82 €20.32

$13.82 ฿445

72.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.43 €26.81

$18.86 ฿608

66.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.74 €42.43

$61.2 ฿1,970

-18.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.88 €22.08

$16.81 ฿541

53.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.88 €6.72

$8.87 ฿286

-11.16%

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

$348 €297

$696 ฿22.4K

-50.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,528 €4,715

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-65.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 €44.22

$59.3 ฿1,910

-12.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.00 €29.85

$34.85 ฿1,123

0.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 €80.6

$113 ฿3,646

-16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 €80.8

$85.1 ฿2,740

11.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 €301

$615 ฿19.8K

-42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$291 €248

$448 ฿14.4K

-35.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 €653

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-63.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 €534

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-58.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,839 €1,568

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-50.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,485 €1,267

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-44.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 €858

$534 ฿17.2K

88.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

5.33

-18.57%

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

Last update for Thiva: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $353 in Thiva and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thiva pays 89% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57 in Thiva vs $46 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $291, with Thiva 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

Thiva vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thiva is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Thiva pays 89% 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: $353 in Thiva versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $348 in Thiva versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,220 in Thiva versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Thiva but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Thiva the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thiva 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.

Safety-wise, Thiva 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 Thiva gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.