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.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Wels
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.35 ₮14.85
$4.63 āļŋ151
274.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.4 ₮62.8
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
56.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.20 ₮10.44
$8.84 āļŋ289
38.01%
Cappuccino
$4.63 ₮3.96
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
54.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.17 ₮3.57
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
463.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.02 ₮2.59
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
716.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.53 ₮4.73
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
126.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.80 ₮4.11
$3.61 āļŋ118
32.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wels
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 ₮1.24
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
-35.84%
White Bread (500g)
$2.96 ₮2.53
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
60.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 ₮1.93
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
0.45%
Eggs
$3.47 ₮2.97
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
49.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.43 ₮20.91
$19.67 āļŋ643
24.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.84 ₮11.85
$3.65 āļŋ119
279.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.34 ₮18.27
$13.10 āļŋ428
62.90%
Apples (1kg)
$3.06 ₮2.62
$3.39 āļŋ111
-9.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.89 ₮1.62
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
15.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 ₮2.20
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
6.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.82 ₮2.42
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
38.92%
Potato (1kg)
$2.05 ₮1.76
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
31.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.75 ₮1.50
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
16.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.71 ₮1.46
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
67.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 ₮0.67
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
61.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.70 ₮6.59
$4.45 āļŋ145
73.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.32 ₮7.98
$18.88 āļŋ617
-50.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 ₮0.67
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
-56.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 ₮1.42
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
-39.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Wels
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.80 ₮2.40
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
100.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.42 ₮25.19
$11.48 āļŋ376
156.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.04 ₮6.03
$3.12 āļŋ102
125.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 ₮1.76
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
105.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.46 ₮29.50
$14.09 āļŋ461
144.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.76 ₮1.51
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
30.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K ₮24.4K
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
4.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.7K ₮30.6K
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
8.49%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wels
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$351 ₮301
$125 āļŋ4,087
180.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.32 ₮19.11
$13.57 āļŋ444
64.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.09 ₮29.18
$18.52 āļŋ606
84.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wels
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.86 ₮34.12
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
-35.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.08 ₮29.17
$16.84 āļŋ551
102.38%
Cinema Ticket
$14.12 ₮12.08
$9.19 āļŋ300
53.65%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Wels
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$894 ₮765
$698 āļŋ22.8K
28.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,297 ₮6,246
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
-53.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wels
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$137 ₮117
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
136.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5 ₮44.08
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
46.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 ₮102
$113 āļŋ3,699
5.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$137 ₮118
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
58.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wels
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$690 ₮591
$616 āļŋ20.1K
12.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$580 ₮497
$446 āļŋ14.6K
30.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,150 ₮984
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
-43.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$798 ₮683
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
-46.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
-
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Wels
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,797 ₮2,395
$524 āļŋ17.1K
434.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3
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
Is Phuket cheaper than Wels?
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.
Where can you earn more: Wels or Phuket?
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.
What is the rent difference between Wels and Phuket?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
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.
How do food prices compare in Wels and Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Wels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Wels or Phuket?
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.
Is Wels or Phuket more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Wels or Phuket?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
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.

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