Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Turku and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,833 in Turku versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,889 in Turku versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,946 in Turku versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Turku is roughly 45% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Turku is 37% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 €13.17

$4.70 ฿154

225.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 €95.9

$45.37 ฿1,483

145.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 €9.95

$8.43 ฿276

37.01%

Cappuccino

$4.95 €4.26

$2.93 ฿95.7

68.94%

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

$2.16 €1.86

$0.69 ฿22.42

213.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.37 ฿12.00

402.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.88 €7.65

$2.41 ฿78.7

268.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.72 ฿122

112.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.12

$2.23 ฿73.0

-41.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 €2.17

$1.83 ฿59.9

37.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 €2.31

$2.17 ฿70.9

23.50%

Eggs

$3.11 €2.68

$2.21 ฿72.4

40.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 €6.21

$19.74 ฿645

-63.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.24 €13.12

$3.63 ฿119

319.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.46 €16.76

$13.53 ฿442

43.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$3.28 ฿107

-35.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.61 ฿52.7

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.41 ฿78.7

-18.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 €3.40

$2.08 ฿68.1

89.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.53 ฿49.97

-1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.48 ฿48.41

10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 €1.77

$0.99 ฿32.32

108.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.51 ฿16.68

282.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.43 €10.71

$4.41 ฿144

181.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.37 €14.10

$19.38 ฿634

-15.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 €3.02

$1.78 ฿58.1

96.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 €3.30

$2.71 ฿88.7

41.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 €2.95

$1.37 ฿44.83

149.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.4 €53.7

$11.39 ฿372

447.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 €7.54

$3.02 ฿98.7

190.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.99 ฿32.51

53.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.8 €44.57

$14.10 ฿461

267.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.85

$1.36 ฿44.55

57.35%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

36.79%

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

$37.0K €31.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

12.53%

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

$176 €151

$122 ฿3,978

44.44%

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

$30.12 €25.94

$13.57 ฿444

121.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.48 €20.22

$18.31 ฿599

28.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.02 €41.35

$60.2 ฿1,969

-20.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.16 €22.53

$17.14 ฿560

52.63%

Cinema Ticket

$17.35 €14.94

$8.69 ฿284

99.65%

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

$320 €276

$693 ฿22.7K

-53.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,124 €3,551

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-73.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.0 €70.6

$59.5 ฿1,946

37.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.19 €29.44

$34.77 ฿1,137

-1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 €79.8

$115 ฿3,746

-19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.6

$83.3 ฿2,723

29.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 €673

$613 ฿20.0K

27.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 €546

$437 ฿14.3K

45.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 €1,113

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-38.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 €866

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-33.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,403 €3,791

$3,749 ฿122.6K

17.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,956 €2,545

$2,616 ฿85.5K

13.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,790 €2,402

$508 ฿16.6K

449.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.97

5.33

-25.52%

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

Last update for Turku: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $782 in Turku and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turku pays 449% 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: $111 in Turku vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $293 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

Turku vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Turku pays 449% more on average, 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: $782 in Turku versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $320 in Turku versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Turku. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,833 in Turku, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Turku. 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 Turku, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Turku 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 45% less than in Turku. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.