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: $1,155 in Thiva versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,601 in Thiva versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,048 in Thiva versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Thiva costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Thiva 16% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.83 €10.20

$4.66 ฿154

153.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 €56.2

$32.22 ฿1,065

102.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 €6.17

$8.68 ฿287

-17.51%

Cappuccino

$2.57 €2.21

$2.90 ฿95.8

-11.38%

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

$2.41 €2.07

$0.84 ฿27.89

186.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 €0.44

$0.49 ฿16.16

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.74 €4.08

$2.48 ฿82.0

91.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 €2.44

$3.73 ฿123

-24.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.89 ฿62.3

-11.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.41 ฿46.54

3.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.62 ฿53.6

48.15%

Eggs

$5.15 €4.44

$2.24 ฿74.1

129.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.80 €10.17

$19.84 ฿656

-40.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 €8.71

$3.48 ฿115

190.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.99 €12.92

$11.37 ฿376

31.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.90 ฿95.8

-41.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.72 ฿57.0

18.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 €0.96

$2.27 ฿75.1

-51.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.61

$2.13 ฿70.4

-12.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 €0.86

$1.47 ฿48.72

-32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.42 ฿46.92

-7.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 €0.74

$1.10 ฿36.25

-21.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.62

$0.60 ฿19.76

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.77 €4.11

$4.31 ฿142

10.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.90 €5.95

$18.60 ฿615

-62.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.80 ฿59.5

-5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.97 ฿98.0

-31.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.25 ฿74.2

-39.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 €3.30

$3.10 ฿102

23.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.08 ฿35.56

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.60 €12.58

$3.87 ฿128

277.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.96

$1.43 ฿47.16

58.74%

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

$29.2K €25.2K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

5.01%

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

$24.4K €21.0K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

-9.57%

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

$165 €143

$105 ฿3,462

57.80%

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

$25.06 €21.60

$11.39 ฿376

120.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.83 €25.71

$17.54 ฿580

70.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 €43.25

$54.3 ฿1,795

-7.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.80 €22.24

$11.44 ฿378

125.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 €7.19

$7.78 ฿257

7.20%

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

$349 €301

$576 ฿19.0K

-39.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,635 €3,996

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-59.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 €45.53

$63.6 ฿2,103

-17.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.48 €30.58

$29.10 ฿961

21.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 €69.8

$96.2 ฿3,179

-15.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €98.0

$90.0 ฿2,974

26.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 €298

$733 ฿24.2K

-52.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 €250

$501 ฿16.5K

-42.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 €545

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-70.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,791 €1,544

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-49.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,479 €1,275

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-43.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,198 €1,033

$508 ฿16.8K

136.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.36

5.57

-21.72%

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

Last update for Thiva: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $346 in Thiva and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thiva pays 136% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Thiva vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $275, 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 136% 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: $346 in Thiva versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Thiva versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Thiva – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,155 in Thiva versus $1,265 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 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.