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: $2,053 in Wels versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,010 in Wels versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,967 in Wels versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Wels is roughly 67% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wels is 50% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.79 €16.26

$4.41 ฿146

326.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 €71.9

$32.26 ฿1,071

157.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.48 €10.81

$8.93 ฿297

39.75%

Cappuccino

$5.05 €4.38

$2.90 ฿96.1

74.14%

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

$4.42 €3.82

$0.88 ฿29.22

402.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 €2.65

$0.48 ฿15.97

539.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 €4.99

$2.35 ฿78.1

145.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.04

$3.72 ฿124

25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.87 ฿61.9

-14.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.10

$1.47 ฿48.68

64.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.55 ฿51.5

12.26%

Eggs

$4.09 €3.54

$2.10 ฿69.8

94.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.08 €13.92

$19.59 ฿650

-17.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 €11.95

$3.42 ฿114

303.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.42 €18.55

$11.38 ฿378

88.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.36

$2.98 ฿99.1

-8.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 €1.57

$1.68 ฿55.9

7.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.37

$2.21 ฿73.3

23.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.93 €2.54

$2.16 ฿71.8

35.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.52 ฿50.6

16.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.16

$1.34 ฿44.43

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.13 ฿37.47

70.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.55 ฿18.14

49.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.71 €6.68

$4.26 ฿142

80.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 €7.02

$19.09 ฿634

-57.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.67

$1.78 ฿59.1

-56.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.78 ฿92.4

-27.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.43

$2.23 ฿74.0

26.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.81 €34.47

$22.74 ฿755

75.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.81 €5.90

$3.03 ฿101

124.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.52 €2.18

$1.02 ฿33.96

147.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.18 €30.46

$3.89 ฿129

804.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.49 ฿49.50

24.83%

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

$30.2K €26.1K

$26.6K ฿882.5K

13.51%

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

$30.5K €26.4K

$27.0K ฿897.4K

12.91%

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

$402 €348

$102 ฿3,402

292.37%

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

$14.69 €12.71

$11.33 ฿376

29.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.56 €32.52

$17.40 ฿578

115.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.73 €40.46

$52.1 ฿1,729

-10.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.70 €30.04

$11.07 ฿368

213.46%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 €12.04

$7.69 ฿255

80.88%

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

$875 €757

$561 ฿18.6K

56.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K €11.3K

$11.5K ฿382.0K

13.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$160 €139

$63.0 ฿2,093

154.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 €45.42

$29.52 ฿980

77.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €101

$98.0 ฿3,254

19.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 €182

$88.5 ฿2,938

137.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$707 €612

$738 ฿24.5K

-4.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 €490

$482 ฿16.0K

17.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 €848

$2,107 ฿69.9K

-53.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 €706

$1,226 ฿40.7K

-33.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,336 €3,753

$3,617 ฿120.1K

19.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,619 €3,133

$2,603 ฿86.4K

39.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,186 €2,758

$494 ฿16.4K

545.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

5.57

-35.91%

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

Last update for Wels: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $707 in Wels and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wels pays 545% 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: $83.0 in Wels vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $274 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 545% higher in Wels, 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: $707 in Wels versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $875 in Wels versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Wels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,053 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 67% less than in Wels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.