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: $2,405 in Ulm versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,475 in Ulm versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,545 in Ulm versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Ulm is roughly 92% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ulm is 80% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 €14.95

$4.55 ฿153

275.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €59.6

$46.18 ฿1,554

47.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.54 €10.97

$8.84 ฿298

41.86%

Cappuccino

$3.78 €3.31

$3.06 ฿103

23.53%

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

$3.69 €3.23

$0.73 ฿24.42

405.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 €2.37

$0.40 ฿13.40

577.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.74 €4.14

$2.43 ฿81.8

95.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 €4.31

$3.78 ฿127

30.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.10

$2.26 ฿76.0

-44.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.06

$1.81 ฿60.9

29.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 €3.19

$2.25 ฿75.8

62.22%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.46

$2.25 ฿75.6

76.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.97 €13.10

$19.51 ฿656

-23.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.97 €13.10

$3.65 ฿123

310.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.60 €18.03

$13.05 ฿439

57.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 €2.86

$3.23 ฿109

1.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.62 ฿54.4

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.04

$2.38 ฿80.2

-2.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.17 €4.52

$2.03 ฿68.2

154.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.53 ฿51.6

3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 €1.37

$1.50 ฿50.5

4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.98 ฿32.93

95.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.06

$0.52 ฿17.40

132.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.54 €8.35

$4.44 ฿149

114.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.05

$18.32 ฿616

-68.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.86 ฿62.7

-41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.59

$2.68 ฿90.2

-32.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 €2.82

$1.41 ฿47.49

128.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 €53.2

$11.70 ฿394

419.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 €3.35

$3.11 ฿105

23.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.04 ฿35.08

185.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.69 €24.22

$14.11 ฿475

96.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.31 ฿44.13

52.67%

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

$31.4K €27.5K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

12.97%

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

$36.2K €31.7K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

8.98%

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

$388 €340

$122 ฿4,120

217.14%

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

$41.57 €36.37

$13.59 ฿457

205.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 €48.02

$18.70 ฿629

193.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.09 €31.57

$60.5 ฿2,035

-40.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.53 €10.09

$16.98 ฿572

-32.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.62 €11.91

$9.07 ฿305

50.17%

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

$454 €397

$706 ฿23.8K

-35.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K €11.8K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-14.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.6

$58.6 ฿1,970

78.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 €49.92

$35.36 ฿1,190

61.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 €79.8

$115 ฿3,885

-21.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 €123

$83.7 ฿2,818

67.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 €1,000

$626 ฿21.1K

82.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 €838

$445 ฿15.0K

115.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 €1,755

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 €1,305

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-0.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,039 €5,283

$3,483 ฿117.2K

73.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,985 €3,487

$2,577 ฿86.7K

54.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,738 €3,271

$500 ฿16.8K

647.90%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,143 in Ulm and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulm pays 648% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $289 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 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 648% higher in Ulm, 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: $1,143 in Ulm versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $454 in Ulm versus $706 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 Ulm. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,405 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 92% less than in Ulm. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.