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: $1,623 in Varkaus versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,543 in Varkaus versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,464 in Varkaus versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Varkaus is roughly 28% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varkaus is 21% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.77 €10.14

$4.70 ฿154

150.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 €67.4

$45.37 ฿1,483

72.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.31 €8.01

$8.43 ฿276

10.44%

Cappuccino

$4.50 €3.88

$2.93 ฿95.7

53.58%

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

$3.15 €2.71

$0.69 ฿22.42

356.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.37 ฿12.00

324.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 €6.10

$2.41 ฿78.7

194.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 €6.59

$3.72 ฿122

105.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.92

$2.23 ฿73.0

-52.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.83 ฿59.9

10.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.17 ฿70.9

4.61%

Eggs

$2.42 €2.09

$2.21 ฿72.4

9.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 €6.53

$19.74 ฿645

-61.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.04 €10.37

$3.63 ฿119

231.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 €15.03

$13.53 ฿442

28.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.28 ฿107

-32.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.61 ฿52.7

19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 €2.66

$2.41 ฿78.7

28.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 €3.35

$2.08 ฿68.1

87.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.53 ฿49.97

-44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.38

$1.48 ฿48.41

8.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.73

$0.99 ฿32.32

102.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.51 ฿16.68

194.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.02 €7.76

$4.41 ฿144

104.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.07

$19.38 ฿634

-27.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.78 ฿58.1

28.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 €3.19

$2.71 ฿88.7

36.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 €2.97

$1.37 ฿44.83

151.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 €57.9

$11.39 ฿372

490.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 €5.99

$3.02 ฿98.7

130.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 €1.37

$0.99 ฿32.51

60.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.71 €40.22

$14.10 ฿461

231.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.36 ฿44.55

50.74%

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

$28.4K €24.4K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

0.54%

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

$28.4K €24.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-13.67%

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

$88.0 €75.8

$122 ฿3,978

-27.68%

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

$30.53 €26.29

$13.57 ฿444

124.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.93 €15.44

$18.31 ฿599

-2.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.65 €38.45

$60.2 ฿1,969

-25.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 €20.80

$17.14 ฿560

40.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 €9.90

$8.69 ฿284

32.34%

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

$336 €289

$693 ฿22.7K

-51.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,541 €3,910

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-71.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.7 €85.9

$59.5 ฿1,946

67.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.68 €26.41

$34.77 ฿1,137

-11.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 €73.5

$115 ฿3,746

-25.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$83.3 ฿2,723

42.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 €668

$613 ฿20.0K

26.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$648 €558

$437 ฿14.3K

48.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 €1,120

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-37.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 €901

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-30.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,164 €3,586

$3,749 ฿122.6K

11.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,192 €1,888

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-16.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $776 in Varkaus and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Varkaus vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 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

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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,434 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: $776 in Varkaus versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $336 in Varkaus 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 9% higher in Varkaus. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,623 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 28% less than in Varkaus. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.