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: $1,601 in Tivat versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,382 in Tivat versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,163 in Tivat versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Tivat is roughly 28% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tivat is 20% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.05 €12.29

$4.55 ฿153

208.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.49 €39.80

$46.18 ฿1,554

-1.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 €8.81

$8.84 ฿298

13.91%

Cappuccino

$2.82 €2.46

$3.06 ฿103

-7.84%

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

$2.27 €1.98

$0.73 ฿24.42

210.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$0.40 ฿13.40

257.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 €2.56

$2.43 ฿81.8

20.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 €3.00

$3.78 ฿127

-9.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 €1.24

$2.26 ฿76.0

-37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 €0.98

$1.81 ฿60.9

-38.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 €2.03

$2.25 ฿75.8

2.67%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.75

$2.25 ฿75.6

39.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 €7.81

$19.51 ฿656

-54.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.04

$3.65 ฿123

120.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.93 €10.44

$13.05 ฿439

-8.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 €1.33

$3.23 ฿109

-52.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.62 ฿54.4

6.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 €1.47

$2.38 ฿80.2

-29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.84 €2.49

$2.03 ฿68.2

39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.53 ฿51.6

-29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.50 ฿50.5

-24.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 €1.70

$0.98 ฿32.93

98.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.04

$0.52 ฿17.40

128.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 €3.80

$4.44 ฿149

-2.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.73 €5.89

$18.32 ฿616

-63.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.86 ฿62.7

-30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.64

$2.68 ฿90.2

-30.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.41 ฿47.49

25.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 €35.12

$11.70 ฿394

243.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 €1.00

$3.11 ฿105

-63.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.90

$1.04 ฿35.08

-0.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 €10.24

$14.11 ฿475

-17.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.31 ฿44.13

33.59%

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

$28.5K €24.9K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

2.31%

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

$29.3K €25.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-11.76%

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

$140 €123

$122 ฿4,120

14.46%

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

$18.21 €15.93

$13.59 ฿457

34.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.88 €28.77

$18.70 ฿629

75.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 €44.85

$60.5 ฿2,035

-15.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.06 €14.05

$16.98 ฿572

-5.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.67 €4.96

$9.07 ฿305

-37.49%

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

$420 €367

$706 ฿23.8K

-40.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K €8,966

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-35.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 €73.6

$58.6 ฿1,970

43.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.70 €33.86

$35.36 ฿1,190

9.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €99.0

$115 ฿3,885

-2.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €111

$83.7 ฿2,818

51.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €948

$626 ฿21.1K

73.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 €599

$445 ฿15.0K

53.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,799

$2,040 ฿68.7K

0.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 €1,042

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-20.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,955 €5,210

$3,483 ฿117.2K

71.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,657 €2,325

$2,577 ฿86.7K

3.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,215 €1,063

$500 ฿16.8K

143.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.73

5.33

7.50%

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

Last update for Tivat: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,084 in Tivat and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tivat pays 143% 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: $45.00 in Tivat vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $289 per month, with Tivat cheaper across the board.

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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 143% 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: $1,084 in Tivat versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $420 in Tivat versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Tivat pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,601 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 28% less than in Tivat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.