Cost of Living Comparison Between Wels and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Wels and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,026 in Wels versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,889 in Wels versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,752 in Wels versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Wels is roughly 64% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wels is 51% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 €14.85

$4.63 ฿151

274.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 €62.8

$46.84 ฿1,532

56.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 €10.44

$8.84 ฿289

38.01%

Cappuccino

$4.63 €3.96

$3.00 ฿98.0

54.33%

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

$4.17 €3.57

$0.74 ฿24.25

463.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.59

$0.37 ฿11.95

716.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 €4.73

$2.44 ฿79.8

126.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.11

$3.61 ฿118

32.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.24

$2.26 ฿73.9

-35.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 €2.53

$1.84 ฿60.1

60.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 €1.93

$2.24 ฿73.4

0.45%

Eggs

$3.47 €2.97

$2.32 ฿75.7

49.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.43 €20.91

$19.67 ฿643

24.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.84 €11.85

$3.65 ฿119

279.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.34 €18.27

$13.10 ฿428

62.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.62

$3.39 ฿111

-9.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.64 ฿53.7

15.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 €2.20

$2.41 ฿79.0

6.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.42

$2.03 ฿66.4

38.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.56 ฿50.9

31.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.50 ฿48.94

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.02 ฿33.50

67.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.67

$0.49 ฿16.00

61.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.70 €6.59

$4.45 ฿145

73.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 €7.98

$18.88 ฿617

-50.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$1.78 ฿58.1

-56.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$2.75 ฿90.1

-39.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 €2.40

$1.40 ฿45.81

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.42 €25.19

$11.48 ฿376

156.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.04 €6.03

$3.12 ฿102

125.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.00 ฿32.67

105.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.46 €29.50

$14.09 ฿461

144.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.35 ฿44.19

30.37%

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

$28.5K €24.4K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

4.82%

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

$35.7K €30.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

8.49%

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

$351 €301

$125 ฿4,087

180.93%

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

$22.32 €19.11

$13.57 ฿444

64.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.09 €29.18

$18.52 ฿606

84.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.86 €34.12

$61.5 ฿2,010

-35.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.08 €29.17

$16.84 ฿551

102.38%

Cinema Ticket

$14.12 €12.08

$9.19 ฿300

53.65%

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

$894 €765

$698 ฿22.8K

28.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,297 €6,246

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-53.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 €117

$57.8 ฿1,889

136.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.5 €44.08

$35.24 ฿1,152

46.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 €102

$113 ฿3,699

5.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 €118

$86.4 ฿2,825

58.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 €591

$616 ฿20.1K

12.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 €497

$446 ฿14.6K

30.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 €984

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-43.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 €683

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-46.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,797 €2,395

$524 ฿17.1K

434.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-43.71%

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

Last update for Wels: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $690 in Wels and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wels pays 434% 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: $73.0 in Wels vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $292 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

Wels 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 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Wels pays 434% more on average, 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: $690 in Wels versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $894 in Wels versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Wels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,026 in Wels, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Wels. 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 Wels, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Wels 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 64% less than in Wels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.