Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala la Real and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Alcala la Real and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,670 in Alcala la Real versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,406 in Alcala la Real versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,142 in Alcala la Real versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Alcala la Real is roughly 32% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alcala la Real is 25% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.91 €14.55

$4.70 ฿153

259.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.98 €42.99

$45.37 ฿1,482

10.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 €10.50

$8.43 ฿275

44.84%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €1.94

$2.93 ฿95.6

-22.87%

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

$1.93 €1.66

$0.69 ฿22.40

179.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$0.37 ฿11.99

327.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.41 ฿78.6

-4.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.07

$3.72 ฿122

-4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.12

$2.23 ฿72.9

-41.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.83 ฿59.8

-21.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$2.17 ฿70.8

-30.41%

Eggs

$3.04 €2.61

$2.21 ฿72.3

37.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.18 €13.92

$19.74 ฿645

-18.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.51 €8.18

$3.63 ฿119

161.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 €12.18

$13.53 ฿442

4.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 €2.48

$3.28 ฿107

-11.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.61 ฿52.6

-1.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.41 ฿78.6

-37.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.22 €2.77

$2.08 ฿68.1

54.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.53 ฿49.93

19.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.48 ฿48.36

37.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$0.99 ฿32.29

44.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.51 ฿16.67

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.89

$4.41 ฿144

29.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.32 €5.43

$19.38 ฿633

-67.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.78 ฿58.1

-30.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.53

$2.71 ฿88.6

-34.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.37 ฿44.79

20.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.88 €29.14

$11.39 ฿372

197.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 €4.65

$3.02 ฿98.6

78.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 €0.85

$0.99 ฿32.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.83 €24.80

$14.10 ฿461

104.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.36 ฿44.51

32.35%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

36.72%

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

$30.1K €25.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-8.37%

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

$133 €115

$122 ฿3,975

9.52%

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

$20.42 €17.57

$13.57 ฿443

50.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.41 €23.58

$18.31 ฿598

49.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.88 €40.33

$60.2 ฿1,967

-22.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.28 €13.14

$17.14 ฿560

-10.85%

Cinema Ticket

$8.37 €7.20

$8.69 ฿284

-3.68%

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

$412 €354

$693 ฿22.6K

-40.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,632 €8,286

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-38.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 €60.9

$59.5 ฿1,944

18.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.06 €35.32

$34.77 ฿1,136

18.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.8 €84.1

$115 ฿3,743

-14.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$83.3 ฿2,720

42.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$843 €725

$613 ฿20.0K

37.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$700 €602

$437 ฿14.3K

60.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 €1,156

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-35.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 €879

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-32.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,945 €2,534

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-21.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 €2,024

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-10.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

5.33

-32.08%

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

Last update for Alcala la Real: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $843 in Alcala la Real and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $50.0 in Alcala la Real vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $293, with Alcala la Real cheaper for home cooking.

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 la Real vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alcala la Real and Phuket differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($1,670 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,505 in Alcala la Real and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $843 in Alcala la Real versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 197% less than in Alcala la Real. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $412 in Alcala la Real versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,670 in Alcala la Real, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Alcala la Real. 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 la Real 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 32% less than in Alcala la Real. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.