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: $1,634 in Alcala la Real versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,399 in Alcala la Real versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,163 in Alcala la Real versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Alcala la Real is roughly 31% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alcala la Real is 22% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €14.73

$4.55 ฿153

270.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 €44.54

$46.18 ฿1,550

10.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 €10.46

$8.84 ฿297

35.41%

Cappuccino

$2.15 €1.88

$3.06 ฿103

-29.74%

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

$1.95 €1.71

$0.73 ฿24.36

167.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.40 ฿13.37

295.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 €2.06

$2.43 ฿81.6

-3.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 €3.06

$3.78 ฿127

-7.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.26 ฿75.8

-41.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.81 ฿60.8

-20.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 €1.27

$2.25 ฿75.7

-35.56%

Eggs

$2.93 €2.56

$2.25 ฿75.4

30.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.10 €14.06

$19.51 ฿655

-17.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 €8.48

$3.65 ฿122

165.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 €12.25

$13.05 ฿438

7.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.57

$3.23 ฿109

-8.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.33

$1.62 ฿54.3

-6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 €1.35

$2.38 ฿80.0

-35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.26 €2.85

$2.03 ฿68.0

60.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.53 ฿51.5

18.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.50 ฿50.4

32.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 €1.20

$0.98 ฿32.85

40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 €0.93

$0.52 ฿17.36

103.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.66 €4.94

$4.44 ฿149

27.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 €5.53

$18.32 ฿615

-65.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.86 ฿62.6

-34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.50

$2.68 ฿90.0

-36.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.41 ฿47.37

20.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.52 €30.16

$11.70 ฿393

195.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 €4.74

$3.11 ฿104

74.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 €0.87

$1.04 ฿35.00

-3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.23 €25.54

$14.11 ฿474

107.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.31 ฿44.02

30.53%

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

$38.9K €34.0K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

39.99%

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

$30.2K €26.4K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-9.05%

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

$136 €119

$122 ฿4,110

10.80%

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

$20.86 €18.23

$13.59 ฿456

53.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 €24.54

$18.70 ฿628

50.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.84 €40.93

$60.5 ฿2,031

-22.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 €13.08

$16.98 ฿570

-11.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.47 €7.40

$9.07 ฿305

-6.62%

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

$407 €356

$706 ฿23.7K

-42.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,845 €8,602

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-37.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 €61.5

$58.6 ฿1,965

20.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.92 €34.88

$35.36 ฿1,187

12.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €87.6

$115 ฿3,876

-13.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €105

$83.7 ฿2,811

43.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 €740

$626 ฿21.0K

35.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 €601

$445 ฿14.9K

54.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 €1,157

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-35.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 €871

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-33.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,649 €3,188

$3,483 ฿116.9K

4.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,364 €2,065

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-8.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $846 in Alcala la Real and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $51.0 in Alcala la Real vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $280 vs $289, 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,634 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,451 in Alcala la Real and $1,875 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: $846 in Alcala la Real versus $626 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 195% less than in Alcala la Real. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $407 in Alcala la Real versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,634 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 31% less than in Alcala la Real. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.