Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vichy and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,468 in Vichy, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Vichy
🇫🇷 France
$1,468
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vichy and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Vichy and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,468 in Vichy versus $1,207 in Phuket.

  • Vichy $1,468
  • Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,201 in Vichy versus $2,037 in Phuket.

  • Vichy $2,201
  • Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,933 in Vichy versus $2,867 in Phuket.

  • Vichy $2,933
  • Phuket $2,867

Living in Vichy is roughly 22% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vichy is 9% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vichy
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.76 €6.90
$4.58 ฿153
69.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.6 €48.58
$32.48 ฿1,086
68.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.29 €6.49
$8.55 ฿286
-14.74%
Cappuccino
$2.74 €2.44
$2.72 ฿91.0
0.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 €2.47
$0.94 ฿31.25
194.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 €1.20
$0.49 ฿16.39
175.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.55 €4.93
$2.59 ฿86.6
114.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.52 €4.02
$3.83 ฿128
18.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vichy
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 €0.83
$1.74 ฿58.1
-45.98%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 €1.67
$1.43 ฿47.82
31.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.53 ฿51.0
14.38%
Eggs
$1.96 €1.74
$2.17 ฿72.7
-9.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$23.90 €21.26
$19.15 ฿640
24.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.67 €5.04
$3.30 ฿110
71.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.40 €6.58
$11.14 ฿372
-33.57%
Apples (1kg)
$1.27 €1.13
$2.95 ฿98.5
-56.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.68 ฿56.1
10.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$2.30 ฿76.8
22.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$2.13 ฿71.3
-8.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.53 ฿51.1
-11.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 €0.99
$1.36 ฿45.55
-17.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.12 ฿37.44
-0.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.37 €0.33
$0.55 ฿18.24
-32.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.94 €9.74
$4.26 ฿142
156.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$3.47 €3.08
$18.19 ฿608
-80.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.32 €2.06
$1.74 ฿58.2
33.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 €2.14
$2.79 ฿93.3
-13.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Vichy
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.86 €1.65
$2.22 ฿74.1
-16.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.01 €42.70
$22.06 ฿737
117.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 €4.77
$2.91 ฿97.3
84.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.04 €1.81
$1.01 ฿33.79
101.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.63 €29.92
$3.83 ฿128
778.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.16 €1.92
$1.49 ฿49.85
44.97%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K €32.2K
$26.7K ฿891.6K
35.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.1K €28.6K
$26.7K ฿892.7K
20.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vichy
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$134 €119
$99.4 ฿3,321
34.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.43 €11.95
$11.28 ฿377
19.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.12
$17.36 ฿580
88.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vichy
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.27 €34.04
$52.3 ฿1,747
-26.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.85 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.77 €7.80
$7.57 ฿253
15.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vichy
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 €703
$558 ฿18.7K
41.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.7K €9,559
$11.5K ฿383.9K
-6.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vichy
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.9 €58.7
$62.9 ฿2,102
4.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$27.99 €24.89
$28.58 ฿955
-2.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.8 €54.9
$96.1 ฿3,213
-35.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$46.78 €41.61
$88.1 ฿2,943
-46.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vichy
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$746 €664
$729 ฿24.4K
2.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$658 €585
$460 ฿15.4K
42.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,355 €1,205
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-35.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,118 €994
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-8.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,410 €3,033
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-1.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,172 €2,821
$2,489 ฿83.2K
27.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vichy
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,635 €1,455
$493 ฿16.5K
231.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.79
5.57
-31.96%

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

Last update for Vichy: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vichy
$658
Phuket
$460 30.1% $198
Groceries & Markets
Vichy
$242
Phuket
$268 10.4% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vichy
$180
Phuket
$128 28.8% $52
Eating Out
Vichy
$170
Phuket
$121 28.7% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Vichy
$91
Phuket
$124 36.2% $33
Getting Around
Vichy
$71
Phuket
$39 45.2% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Vichy
$56
Phuket
$67 20.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Vichy and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vichy pays 232% 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: $55.0 in Vichy vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $268, with Vichy cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇫🇷 Vichy
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
08:25 8:25 AM
13:25 1:25 PM
5 h ahead of Vichy
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
25,789
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vichy Phuket 9,760 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Vichy
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Vichy vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Vichy?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Vichy or Phuket?
Average pay runs 232% higher in Vichy, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Vichy and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $746 in Vichy versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $790 in Vichy versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Vichy and in Phuket?
Shoppers in Vichy pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Vichy or in Phuket?
At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,468 in Vichy, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vichy. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Vichy or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vichy, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Vichy or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Vichy 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Vichy. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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