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: $1,819 in Alcala de Henares versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,673 in Alcala de Henares versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,526 in Alcala de Henares versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Alcala de Henares is roughly 44% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alcala de Henares is 36% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €14.78

$4.70 ฿153

265.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 €59.9

$45.37 ฿1,482

53.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 €8.89

$8.43 ฿275

22.54%

Cappuccino

$2.50 €2.15

$2.93 ฿95.6

-14.68%

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

$3.23 €2.78

$0.69 ฿22.40

368.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$0.37 ฿11.99

454.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.09 €3.51

$2.41 ฿78.6

69.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.96

$3.72 ฿122

23.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$2.23 ฿72.9

-43.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.83 ฿59.8

-42.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.17 ฿70.8

-24.42%

Eggs

$2.69 €2.31

$2.21 ฿72.3

21.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.48 €19.34

$19.74 ฿645

13.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 €7.93

$3.63 ฿119

153.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.06 €14.68

$13.53 ฿442

26.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.36

$3.28 ฿107

-16.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.61 ฿52.6

31.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$2.41 ฿78.6

-15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.08 ฿68.1

27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.53 ฿49.93

18.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.48 ฿48.36

38.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.99 ฿32.29

34.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.80

$0.51 ฿16.67

82.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.48 €5.58

$4.41 ฿144

46.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.36 €7.19

$19.38 ฿633

-56.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.78 ฿58.1

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.71 ฿88.6

-20.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.37 ฿44.79

41.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.30 €40.69

$11.39 ฿372

315.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 €3.50

$3.02 ฿98.6

34.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.99 ฿32.48

38.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.60 €20.30

$14.10 ฿461

67.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.36 ฿44.51

37.50%

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

$36.9K €31.7K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

30.79%

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

$29.7K €25.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-9.70%

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

$127 €109

$122 ฿3,975

4.22%

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

$21.43 €18.43

$13.57 ฿443

57.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.20 €27.70

$18.31 ฿598

75.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.37 €36.45

$60.2 ฿1,967

-29.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.54 €9.93

$17.14 ฿560

-32.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.35 €8.90

$8.69 ฿284

19.10%

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

$264 €227

$693 ฿22.6K

-61.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,001 €6,022

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-55.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 €75.1

$59.5 ฿1,944

46.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.59 €32.34

$34.77 ฿1,136

8.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 €70.0

$115 ฿3,743

-29.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 €74.5

$83.3 ฿2,720

3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$895 €770

$613 ฿20.0K

46.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 €696

$437 ฿14.3K

85.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 €1,609

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-10.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,000

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-22.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,419 €3,801

$3,749 ฿122.5K

17.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,583 €3,082

$2,616 ฿85.4K

36.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,819 €1,565

$508 ฿16.6K

257.97%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $895 in Alcala de Henares and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alcala de Henares pays 258% 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: $70.0 in Alcala de Henares vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $293 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 44% in total monthly costs ($1,819 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Alcala de Henares pays 258% 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: $895 in Alcala de Henares versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $264 in Alcala de Henares versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Alcala de Henares. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,819 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 44% less than in Alcala de Henares. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.