Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alba and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,640 in Alba, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Alba
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Alba Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Alba

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,640

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alba 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 Alba and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,640 per month in Alba vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Alba $1,640
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,569 per month in Alba vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Alba $2,569
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $3,498 per month in Alba vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Alba $3,498
Phuket $3,154

Alba costs about 28% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Alba sits 20% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.40 €20.12

$4.47 ฿151

401.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €81.4

$32.41 ฿1,094

179.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.17 €11.83

$8.81 ฿297

49.49%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.87

$2.83 ฿95.5

-26.50%

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

$3.77 €3.39

$0.87 ฿29.43

333.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 €1.68

$0.49 ฿16.67

281.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.07

$2.56 ฿86.4

120.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.87 €6.17

$3.68 ฿124

86.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.52

$1.66 ฿56.0

1.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 €2.89

$1.46 ฿49.35

120.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 €3.31

$1.50 ฿50.6

145.33%

Eggs

$4.88 €4.38

$2.09 ฿70.5

133.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.81 €20.49

$19.07 ฿644

19.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.73 €13.23

$3.30 ฿111

346.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.87 €20.55

$10.91 ฿368

109.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.64

$2.93 ฿99.0

0.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.10

$1.69 ฿57.1

38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 €2.95

$2.25 ฿75.8

46.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 €3.79

$2.08 ฿70.1

102.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 €2.11

$1.51 ฿51.0

55.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.79

$1.38 ฿46.56

44.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.63

$1.07 ฿35.99

69.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.55

$0.52 ฿17.52

17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.89

$4.20 ฿142

56.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.46 €8.49

$18.79 ฿634

-49.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.81

$1.82 ฿61.5

10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.16

$2.84 ฿95.9

-15.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.84 €7.04

$3.02 ฿102

159.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.04

$1.02 ฿34.36

122.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$65.3 €58.7

$3.69 ฿125

1670.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.87

$1.47 ฿49.81

42.18%

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

$36.4K €32.7K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

35.94%

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

$38.0K €34.1K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

42.27%

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

$254 €229

$96.4 ฿3,254

164.04%

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

$8.00 €7.19

$11.26 ฿380

-28.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.01 €26.06

$16.85 ฿569

72.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$11.35 €10.19

$7.50 ฿253

51.33%

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

$927 €832

$476 ฿16.1K

94.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K €17.0K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

67.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$62.4 ฿2,106

63.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 €45.41

$28.41 ฿959

77.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 €105

$94.3 ฿3,184

24.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 €151

$85.8 ฿2,898

96.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$548 €492

$716 ฿24.2K

-23.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 €346

$491 ฿16.6K

-21.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 €646

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-62.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 €553

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-56.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,013 €2,707

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-27.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,622 €2,355

$502 ฿17.0K

422.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.18

5.57

-42.91%

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

Last update for Alba: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Alba

$416 25.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 36.1% $150

Accommodation & Living

Alba

$385 23.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 27.6% $106

Eating Out

Alba

$308 18.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 60.5% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alba

$291 17.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 57.3% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Alba

$197 12%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 38.2% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Alba

$23 * 1.4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 262% $60

Getting Around

Alba

$19 * 1.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 267% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $548 in Alba versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Alba are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Alba versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇹 Alba

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

01:40 1:40 AM

6 h ahead of Alba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,910

79,308

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alba Phuket 9,420 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Alba
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

Alba vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Alba is pricier by about 28%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,460 per month in Alba and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $548 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Alba and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in Alba, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Alba at $1,640. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alba it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,640 in Alba. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.