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: $1,254 in Thiva versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,014 in Thiva versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,773 in Thiva versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Thiva costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Thiva 6% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.12 €11.53

$4.53 ฿153

189.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 €51.0

$46.36 ฿1,562

25.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 €6.22

$8.65 ฿291

-18.15%

Cappuccino

$2.56 €2.25

$3.09 ฿104

-17.15%

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

$1.62 €1.42

$0.68 ฿22.85

138.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.44

$0.37 ฿12.41

35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 €4.15

$2.42 ฿81.4

95.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.48

$3.81 ฿128

-25.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.28

$2.18 ฿73.4

-33.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.36

$1.82 ฿61.2

-14.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 €1.93

$2.18 ฿73.3

0.92%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.56

$2.24 ฿75.3

80.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.64 €11.99

$19.93 ฿671

-31.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 €8.38

$3.64 ฿123

162.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.36 €11.74

$13.56 ฿457

-1.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 €1.56

$3.29 ฿111

-46.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 €1.64

$1.69 ฿56.8

10.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 €0.99

$2.33 ฿78.6

-51.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.69

$2.03 ฿68.3

-5.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 €0.87

$1.60 ฿53.9

-38.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.49 ฿50.4

-18.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 €0.81

$1.01 ฿34.11

-8.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 €0.40

$0.48 ฿16.06

-4.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.90 €4.31

$4.45 ฿150

10.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.93 €6.09

$18.63 ฿628

-62.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.41

$1.79 ฿60.2

-10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.68

$2.80 ฿94.2

-31.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 €1.20

$1.42 ฿47.81

-4.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.15 €41.45

$11.33 ฿382

316.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 €3.24

$3.09 ฿104

19.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.13

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 €11.98

$13.63 ฿459

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.93

$1.31 ฿44.15

67.18%

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

$30.9K €27.2K

$27.3K ฿919.1K

13.30%

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

$30.0K €26.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-9.58%

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

$189 €166

$123 ฿4,149

53.31%

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

$23.64 €20.78

$13.81 ฿465

71.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €27.40

$18.52 ฿624

68.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 €44.53

$60.4 ฿2,034

-16.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.10 €22.95

$16.80 ฿566

55.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 €6.95

$8.89 ฿299

-11.02%

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

$345 €303

$687 ฿23.1K

-49.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,527 €4,859

$15.6K ฿523.9K

-64.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 €46.00

$57.6 ฿1,942

-9.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 €29.91

$34.66 ฿1,168

-1.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 €85.7

$115 ฿3,872

-15.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 €83.8

$84.9 ฿2,860

12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 €305

$618 ฿20.8K

-43.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 €255

$443 ฿14.9K

-34.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 €691

$2,047 ฿69.0K

-61.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 €552

$1,506 ฿50.7K

-58.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,733 €1,524

$3,568 ฿120.2K

-51.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,424 €1,252

$2,511 ฿84.6K

-43.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,182 €1,039

$503 ฿16.9K

135.02%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $347 in Thiva and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thiva pays 135% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $58.0 in Thiva vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $258 vs $292, 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 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 135% higher in Thiva, 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: $347 in Thiva versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $345 in Thiva versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,254 in Thiva versus $1,261 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.