Cost of Living Comparison Between Trieste and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Trieste and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,969 in Trieste versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,923 in Trieste versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,877 in Trieste versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Trieste is roughly 56% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Trieste is 43% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.79 €19.64

$4.66 ฿154

389.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 €64.3

$32.22 ฿1,065

131.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 €11.85

$8.68 ฿287

58.29%

Cappuccino

$2.19 €1.88

$2.90 ฿95.8

-24.48%

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

$3.79 €3.27

$0.84 ฿27.89

351.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.05

$0.49 ฿16.16

383.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.28 €5.42

$2.48 ฿82.0

153.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 €5.04

$3.73 ฿123

56.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.89 ฿62.3

20.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 €2.74

$1.41 ฿46.54

125.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 €3.46

$1.62 ฿53.6

147.53%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.78

$2.24 ฿74.1

95.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.83 €13.64

$19.84 ฿656

-20.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 €10.47

$3.48 ฿115

249.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.73 €15.28

$11.37 ฿376

55.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$2.90 ฿95.8

-1.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.92

$1.72 ฿57.0

29.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 €2.73

$2.27 ฿75.1

39.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 €4.14

$2.13 ฿70.4

125.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.47 ฿48.72

59.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 €2.19

$1.42 ฿46.92

78.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 €2.09

$1.10 ฿36.25

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.65

$0.60 ฿19.76

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.80 €5.86

$4.31 ฿142

57.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.36 €7.21

$18.60 ฿615

-55.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.80 ฿59.5

0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.97 ฿98.0

-15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.53

$2.25 ฿74.2

-21.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.90 €38.70

$23.49 ฿776

91.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.25 €7.98

$3.10 ฿102

198.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.08 ฿35.56

83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.46 €29.71

$3.87 ฿128

790.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.43 ฿47.16

44.76%

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

$37.2K €32.1K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

33.84%

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

$36.9K €31.8K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

36.61%

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

$228 €197

$105 ฿3,462

117.60%

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

$10.29 €8.87

$11.39 ฿376

-9.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.93 €27.52

$17.54 ฿580

82.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.34

$54.3 ฿1,795

-1.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.12 €37.17

$11.44 ฿378

276.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.21 €7.94

$7.78 ฿257

18.38%

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

$836 €720

$576 ฿19.0K

44.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.6K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

5.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.1

$63.6 ฿2,103

62.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.76 €30.83

$29.10 ฿961

22.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.6

$96.2 ฿3,179

11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €119

$90.0 ฿2,974

53.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 €720

$733 ฿24.2K

13.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 €583

$501 ฿16.5K

35.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 €1,232

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-32.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 €873

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-19.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,789 €3,266

$3,534 ฿116.8K

7.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,197 €1,894

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-16.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,037 €1,756

$508 ฿16.8K

301.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.26

5.57

-41.47%

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

Last update for Trieste: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $836 in Trieste and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trieste pays 301% 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: $75.0 in Trieste vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $275 per month, with Phuket 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

Trieste vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 301% higher in Trieste, 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: $836 in Trieste versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $836 in Trieste versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Trieste. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,969 in Trieste, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Trieste. 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 Trieste, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Trieste 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 56% less than in Trieste. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.