Cost of Living Comparison Between Tivat and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tivat and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,689 in Tivat versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,558 in Tivat versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,427 in Tivat versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Tivat is roughly 35% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tivat is 23% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.49 €9.89

$4.56 ฿150

151.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.64 €39.27

$32.62 ฿1,072

39.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 €9.18

$8.90 ฿293

19.89%

Cappuccino

$2.28 €1.96

$2.80 ฿92.2

-18.57%

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

$2.72 €2.34

$0.88 ฿28.93

209.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.49 ฿16.08

191.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 €2.80

$2.39 ฿78.5

35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.03

$3.71 ฿122

-5.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.79 ฿58.7

-20.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.44 ฿47.38

-21.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.58 ฿52.1

33.54%

Eggs

$3.56 €3.07

$2.13 ฿69.9

67.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 €7.76

$19.92 ฿655

-54.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 €7.31

$3.43 ฿113

147.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.51 €10.77

$11.33 ฿372

10.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 €1.44

$2.95 ฿96.9

-43.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.72 ฿56.6

1.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.32 ฿76.4

-15.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 €2.49

$2.08 ฿68.4

38.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 €0.87

$1.47 ฿48.33

-31.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 €1.00

$1.36 ฿44.64

-14.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.10 ฿36.12

56.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.85

$0.57 ฿18.89

73.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 €3.84

$4.27 ฿140

4.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 €5.14

$18.42 ฿605

-67.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.00

$1.87 ฿61.5

-37.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.62

$2.92 ฿96.0

-35.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.22 ฿72.9

-22.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.01 €34.43

$22.90 ฿753

74.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 €1.01

$3.03 ฿99.6

-61.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.07 ฿35.31

10.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.58 €9.96

$3.93 ฿129

194.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.49 ฿49.04

21.48%

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

$30.6K €26.3K

$27.1K ฿891.7K

12.62%

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

$27.8K €23.9K

$27.5K ฿902.3K

1.38%

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

$133 €115

$103 ฿3,379

29.51%

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

$15.37 €13.23

$10.99 ฿361

39.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.95 €30.07

$17.51 ฿576

99.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.87 €42.91

$53.5 ฿1,760

-6.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 €13.82

$11.20 ฿368

43.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.37 €5.48

$7.48 ฿246

-14.84%

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

$416 €358

$557 ฿18.3K

-25.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,613 €6,551

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-35.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 €78.6

$64.1 ฿2,106

42.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.37 €35.60

$29.07 ฿956

42.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.1

$96.0 ฿3,154

5.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €100

$90.3 ฿2,970

28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 €795

$730 ฿24.0K

26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 €730

$500 ฿16.4K

69.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 €1,727

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-4.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 €1,241

$1,209 ฿39.7K

19.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,208 €5,342

$3,596 ฿118.2K

72.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,765 €2,379

$2,512 ฿82.6K

10.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 €1,071

$503 ฿16.5K

147.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

5.57

-3.41%

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

Last update for Tivat: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $924 in Tivat and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tivat pays 147% 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: $46.00 in Tivat vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $273, with Tivat 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

Tivat vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 147% higher in Tivat, 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: $924 in Tivat versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $416 in Tivat versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tivat pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,689 in Tivat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tivat. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tivat, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tivat 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Tivat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.