Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Varese and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,033 in Varese versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,444 in Varese versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,855 in Varese versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Varese is roughly 63% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varese is 52% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 €15.34

$4.55 ฿153

285.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 €69.4

$46.18 ฿1,550

72.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.86 €12.11

$8.84 ฿297

56.79%

Cappuccino

$2.02 €1.77

$3.06 ฿103

-33.99%

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

$3.67 €3.20

$0.73 ฿24.36

402.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.12

$0.40 ฿13.37

220.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 €5.45

$2.43 ฿81.6

156.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 €5.00

$3.78 ฿127

51.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.48

$2.26 ฿75.8

-25.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 €2.83

$1.81 ฿60.8

78.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 €2.75

$2.25 ฿75.7

39.56%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.64

$2.25 ฿75.4

85.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.10 €19.31

$19.51 ฿655

13.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.32 €11.63

$3.65 ฿122

264.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.93 €29.65

$13.05 ฿438

160.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$3.23 ฿109

-15.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 €2.01

$1.62 ฿54.3

41.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 €2.18

$2.38 ฿80.0

4.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.61

$2.03 ฿68.0

103.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.53 ฿51.5

44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.50 ฿50.4

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.40

$0.98 ฿32.85

63.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 €0.40

$0.52 ฿17.36

-11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.33 €6.41

$4.44 ฿149

65.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.00 €6.99

$18.32 ฿615

-56.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.86 ฿62.6

-4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.29

$2.68 ฿90.0

-45.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.70

$1.41 ฿47.37

38.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.69 €39.92

$11.70 ฿393

290.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 €5.17

$3.11 ฿104

90.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.04 ฿35.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.27 €36.06

$14.11 ฿474

192.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.31 ฿44.02

61.83%

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

$34.3K €30.0K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

23.47%

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

$36.2K €31.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

9.05%

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

$247 €216

$122 ฿4,110

101.68%

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

$13.58 €11.86

$13.59 ฿456

-0.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.81 €30.41

$18.70 ฿628

86.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.0 €48.08

$60.5 ฿2,031

-9.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.62 €21.51

$16.98 ฿570

44.99%

Cinema Ticket

$12.51 €10.93

$9.07 ฿305

37.93%

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

$744 €650

$706 ฿23.7K

5.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,713 €5,866

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-57.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €93.3

$58.6 ฿1,965

82.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.09 €35.90

$35.36 ฿1,187

16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 €109

$115 ฿3,876

8.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €147

$83.7 ฿2,811

101.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 €830

$626 ฿21.0K

51.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$737 €644

$445 ฿14.9K

65.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 €1,525

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-14.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 €1,565

$1,492 ฿50.1K

20.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,364 €2,065

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-32.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,645 €1,438

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-36.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,502 €2,186

$500 ฿16.8K

400.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.63

5.33

-13.13%

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

Last update for Varese: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Varese and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varese pays 400% 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: $79.0 in Varese vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 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

Varese 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 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 400% higher in Varese, 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: $950 in Varese versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $744 in Varese 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 46% higher in Varese. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,033 in Varese, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Varese. 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 Varese, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Varese 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 63% less than in Varese. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.