Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala de Henares and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala de Henares and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,831 in Alcala de Henares versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,647 in Alcala de Henares versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,463 in Alcala de Henares versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Alcala de Henares is roughly 46% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alcala de Henares is 37% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.46 €15.25

$4.55 ฿153

283.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €61.8

$46.18 ฿1,550

53.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 €8.93

$8.84 ฿297

15.61%

Cappuccino

$2.62 €2.29

$3.06 ฿103

-14.38%

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

$3.14 €2.74

$0.73 ฿24.36

330.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.78

$0.40 ฿13.37

410.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.02 €3.51

$2.43 ฿81.6

65.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.02

$3.78 ฿127

21.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.05

$2.26 ฿75.8

-46.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.81 ฿60.8

-41.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$2.25 ฿75.7

-24.44%

Eggs

$2.66 €2.32

$2.25 ฿75.4

18.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.48 €19.64

$19.51 ฿655

15.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 €7.74

$3.65 ฿122

142.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 €14.90

$13.05 ฿438

30.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 €2.52

$3.23 ฿109

-10.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.92

$1.62 ฿54.3

35.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.38 ฿80.0

-13.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.42

$2.03 ฿68.0

36.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.53 ฿51.5

17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.50 ฿50.4

32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 €1.17

$0.98 ฿32.85

36.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$0.52 ฿17.36

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 €5.51

$4.44 ฿149

41.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 €6.84

$18.32 ฿615

-57.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.20

$1.86 ฿62.6

-26.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.68 ฿90.0

-14.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.70

$1.41 ฿47.37

37.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.03 €41.97

$11.70 ฿393

310.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.45

$3.11 ฿104

27.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 €1.19

$1.04 ฿35.00

31.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.46 €20.49

$14.11 ฿474

66.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.56

$1.31 ฿44.02

35.88%

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

$37.0K €32.3K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

32.96%

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

$29.8K €26.0K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-10.43%

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

$127 €111

$122 ฿4,110

3.72%

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

$21.62 €18.89

$13.59 ฿456

59.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.00 €27.96

$18.70 ฿628

71.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.89 €37.48

$60.5 ฿2,031

-29.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.63 €10.16

$16.98 ฿570

-31.51%

Cinema Ticket

$10.53 €9.20

$9.07 ฿305

16.10%

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

$263 €230

$706 ฿23.7K

-62.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,898 €6,027

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-56.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.6

$58.6 ฿1,965

49.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 €32.67

$35.36 ฿1,187

5.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 €71.0

$115 ฿3,876

-29.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 €77.4

$83.7 ฿2,811

5.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 €769

$626 ฿21.0K

40.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 €701

$445 ฿14.9K

80.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 €1,644

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-7.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,158 €1,011

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-22.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,251 €3,714

$3,483 ฿116.9K

22.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,558 €3,109

$2,577 ฿86.5K

38.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,795 €1,568

$500 ฿16.8K

259.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

5.33

-38.65%

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

Last update for Alcala de Henares: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $881 in Alcala de Henares and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alcala de Henares pays 259% 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: $71.0 in Alcala de Henares vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $289 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

Alcala de Henares vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alcala de Henares and Phuket differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,831 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 259% higher in Alcala de Henares, 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: $881 in Alcala de Henares versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $263 in Alcala de Henares versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Alcala de Henares. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,831 in Alcala de Henares, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Alcala de Henares. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Alcala de Henares 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 46% less than in Alcala de Henares. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.