Cost of Living Comparison Between Varkaus and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Varkaus and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,654 in Varkaus versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,573 in Varkaus versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,491 in Varkaus versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Varkaus is roughly 32% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varkaus is 24% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 €10.26

$4.55 ฿153

157.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 €68.9

$46.18 ฿1,553

70.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 €8.09

$8.84 ฿297

4.52%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €3.93

$3.06 ฿103

46.73%

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

$3.17 €2.77

$0.73 ฿24.40

334.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.45

$0.40 ฿13.39

312.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 €6.22

$2.43 ฿81.8

192.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.69 €6.74

$3.78 ฿127

103.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.93

$2.26 ฿76.0

-53.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.81 ฿60.9

12.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 €2.00

$2.25 ฿75.8

1.33%

Eggs

$2.42 €2.12

$2.25 ฿75.5

7.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.44 €6.52

$19.51 ฿656

-61.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 €10.76

$3.65 ฿123

236.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.24 €15.10

$13.05 ฿439

32.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$3.23 ฿109

-31.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 €1.65

$1.62 ฿54.4

16.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 €2.65

$2.38 ฿80.1

27.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 €3.33

$2.03 ฿68.1

87.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 €0.77

$1.53 ฿51.6

-42.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.50 ฿50.5

2.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.98 ฿32.91

112.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 €1.33

$0.52 ฿17.39

192.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.51 €8.33

$4.44 ฿149

114.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 €12.03

$18.32 ฿616

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.96

$1.86 ฿62.7

20.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 €3.29

$2.68 ฿90.1

40.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 €3.06

$1.41 ฿47.46

147.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.4 €57.3

$11.70 ฿393

459.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.73 €5.90

$3.11 ฿105

116.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.04 ฿35.06

49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.86 €41.04

$14.11 ฿474

232.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.80

$1.31 ฿44.10

56.49%

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

$28.3K €24.8K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

1.71%

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

$27.9K €24.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-15.92%

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

$86.5 €75.8

$122 ฿4,118

-29.35%

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

$29.50 €25.83

$13.59 ฿457

117.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 €16.04

$18.70 ฿629

-2.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.21 €37.85

$60.5 ฿2,034

-28.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.10 €21.11

$16.98 ฿571

41.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.35 €9.94

$9.07 ฿305

25.14%

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

$334 €292

$706 ฿23.8K

-52.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,582 €4,013

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-71.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.4 €87.0

$58.6 ฿1,969

69.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.99 €26.27

$35.36 ฿1,189

-15.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 €74.4

$115 ฿3,883

-26.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €106

$83.7 ฿2,816

44.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 €679

$626 ฿21.0K

24.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$635 €556

$445 ฿15.0K

42.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 €1,137

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-36.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 €911

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-30.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,983 €3,488

$3,483 ฿117.1K

14.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,177 €1,906

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-15.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.9

5.33

-64.35%

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

Last update for Varkaus: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $776 in Varkaus and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Varkaus vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 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

Varkaus vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,481 in Varkaus and $1,875 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $776 in Varkaus versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $334 in Varkaus 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 10% higher in Varkaus. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,654 in Varkaus, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Varkaus. 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 Varkaus, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Varkaus 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 32% less than in Varkaus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.