Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulm and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulm and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,393 in Ulm versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,491 in Ulm versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,590 in Ulm versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Ulm is roughly 89% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ulm is 79% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 €15.03

$4.70 ฿154

271.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 €58.8

$45.37 ฿1,483

50.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 €11.14

$8.43 ฿276

53.50%

Cappuccino

$3.80 €3.27

$2.93 ฿95.7

29.69%

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

$3.75 €3.23

$0.69 ฿22.42

443.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.28

$0.37 ฿12.00

613.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.81 €4.14

$2.41 ฿78.7

99.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.02

$3.72 ฿122

25.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$2.23 ฿73.0

-44.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.83 ฿59.9

21.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 €3.04

$2.17 ฿70.9

62.67%

Eggs

$4.03 €3.47

$2.21 ฿72.4

82.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.59 €12.56

$19.74 ฿645

-26.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.20 €13.09

$3.63 ฿119

318.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.21 €18.27

$13.53 ฿442

56.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

$3.28 ฿107

-1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$1.61 ฿52.7

16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.41 ฿78.7

-4.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.39 €4.64

$2.08 ฿68.1

159.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.53 ฿49.97

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.48 ฿48.41

9.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 €1.62

$0.99 ฿32.32

89.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.05

$0.51 ฿16.68

139.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 €8.51

$4.41 ฿144

124.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$19.38 ฿634

-69.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.78 ฿58.1

-37.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.71 ฿88.7

-36.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 €2.87

$1.37 ฿44.83

143.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.7 €54.0

$11.39 ฿372

450.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 €3.22

$3.02 ฿98.7

23.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.02 €2.60

$0.99 ฿32.51

205.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 €23.59

$14.10 ฿461

94.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.36 ฿44.55

44.85%

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

$31.9K €27.5K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

13.10%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

12.69%

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

$388 €334

$122 ฿3,978

219.12%

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

$41.64 €35.86

$13.57 ฿444

206.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 €47.87

$18.31 ฿599

203.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.84 €31.72

$60.2 ฿1,969

-38.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.79 €10.16

$17.14 ฿560

-31.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.92 €11.99

$8.69 ฿284

60.18%

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

$464 €399

$693 ฿22.7K

-33.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.3K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-16.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.2

$59.5 ฿1,946

74.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.6 €50.5

$34.77 ฿1,137

68.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 €80.2

$115 ฿3,746

-18.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €122

$83.3 ฿2,723

69.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 €987

$613 ฿20.0K

86.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 €824

$437 ฿14.3K

118.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 €1,692

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-6.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 €1,273

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-2.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,088 €5,243

$3,749 ฿122.6K

62.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,067 €3,502

$2,616 ฿85.5K

55.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,151 €3,574

$508 ฿16.6K

716.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.99

5.33

-25.14%

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

Last update for Ulm: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,146 in Ulm and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulm pays 717% 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: $68.0 in Ulm vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 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

Ulm vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Ulm pays 717% 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: $1,146 in Ulm versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $464 in Ulm 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 24% higher in Ulm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,393 in Ulm, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Ulm. 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 Ulm, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ulm 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 89% less than in Ulm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.