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: $1,972 in Varkaus versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,105 in Varkaus versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,238 in Varkaus versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Varkaus is roughly 56% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varkaus is 43% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 €14.21

$4.66 ฿154

253.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 €89.9

$32.22 ฿1,065

223.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.31 €10.61

$8.68 ฿287

41.82%

Cappuccino

$5.48 €4.72

$2.90 ฿95.8

88.97%

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

$3.65 €3.15

$0.84 ฿27.89

334.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 €2.49

$0.49 ฿16.16

487.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.33 €8.04

$2.48 ฿82.0

276.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 €8.67

$3.73 ฿123

169.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.89 ฿62.3

-24.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 €2.59

$1.41 ฿46.54

112.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 €3.25

$1.62 ฿53.6

132.72%

Eggs

$4.08 €3.51

$2.24 ฿74.1

82.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 €9.70

$19.84 ฿656

-43.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.89 €14.56

$3.48 ฿115

385.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.51 €20.26

$11.37 ฿376

106.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$2.90 ฿95.8

-5.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.72 ฿57.0

22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.27 ฿75.1

49.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 €3.85

$2.13 ฿70.4

109.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.47 ฿48.72

-8.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.42 ฿46.92

26.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 €1.89

$1.10 ฿36.25

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.60 ฿19.76

233.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.99 €11.20

$4.31 ฿142

201.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 €11.88

$18.60 ฿615

-25.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.41

$1.80 ฿59.5

120.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 €4.45

$2.97 ฿98.0

73.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 €2.95

$2.25 ฿74.2

52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 €58.9

$23.49 ฿776

190.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.98 €8.60

$3.10 ฿102

221.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.08 ฿35.56

75.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.9 €45.59

$3.87 ฿128

1266.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 €1.92

$1.43 ฿47.16

55.94%

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

$37.5K €32.4K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

35.09%

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

$39.1K €33.7K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

45.05%

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

$113 €97.6

$105 ฿3,462

8.02%

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

$29.48 €25.42

$11.39 ฿376

158.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.70 €22.15

$17.54 ฿580

46.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.60 €40.17

$54.3 ฿1,795

-14.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.10 €19.91

$11.44 ฿378

101.92%

Cinema Ticket

$18.39 €15.85

$7.78 ฿257

136.38%

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

$350 €301

$576 ฿19.0K

-39.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K €11.2K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

12.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 €110

$63.6 ฿2,103

99.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 €50.8

$29.10 ฿961

102.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 €85.3

$96.2 ฿3,179

2.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$186 €160

$90.0 ฿2,974

106.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$820 €706

$733 ฿24.2K

11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 €583

$501 ฿16.5K

35.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 €1,135

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-38.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 €939

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-13.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,094 €3,529

$3,534 ฿116.8K

15.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,200 €1,896

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-16.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.51

5.57

-36.98%

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

Last update for Varkaus: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $820 in Varkaus and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $104 in Varkaus vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 vs $275 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,958 in Varkaus and $1,898 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: $820 in Varkaus versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $350 in Varkaus versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Varkaus. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,972 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 56% less than in Varkaus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.