Cost of Living Comparison Between Arouca and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Arouca and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Arouca versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Arouca versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,289 in Arouca versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Arouca costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Arouca 30% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 TTD 68.7

$4.55 ฿153

123.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.3 TTD 602

$46.18 ฿1,554

93.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 TTD 48.46

$8.84 ฿298

-18.67%

Cappuccino

$3.64 TTD 24.54

$3.06 ฿103

18.95%

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

$1.09 TTD 7.36

$0.73 ฿24.42

49.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TTD 5.50

$0.40 ฿13.40

105.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 TTD 12.30

$2.43 ฿81.8

-25.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 TTD 21.34

$3.78 ฿127

-16.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.68 TTD 18.06

$2.26 ฿76.0

18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 TTD 18.46

$1.81 ฿60.9

51.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.70

$2.25 ฿75.8

16.89%

Eggs

$4.95 TTD 33.36

$2.25 ฿75.6

120.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.10 TTD 54.6

$19.51 ฿656

-58.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 TTD 71.2

$3.65 ฿123

189.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 TTD 95.6

$13.05 ฿439

8.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.72 TTD 38.53

$3.23 ฿109

77.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 TTD 17.33

$1.62 ฿54.4

58.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 TTD 29.14

$2.38 ฿80.2

81.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 TTD 32.79

$2.03 ฿68.2

139.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 TTD 9.73

$1.53 ฿51.6

-5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 TTD 11.22

$1.50 ฿50.5

10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 TTD 12.81

$0.98 ฿32.93

93.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 TTD 9.44

$0.52 ฿17.40

169.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.80 TTD 39.12

$4.44 ฿149

30.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.17 TTD 129

$18.32 ฿616

4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 TTD 14.95

$1.86 ฿62.7

19.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 TTD 19.23

$2.68 ฿90.2

6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 TTD 7.01

$3.11 ฿105

-66.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 TTD 8.28

$1.04 ฿35.08

18.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.06 TTD 101

$14.11 ฿475

6.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 TTD 7.44

$1.31 ฿44.13

-16.03%

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

$33.8K TTD 227.5K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

21.36%

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

$39.1K TTD 263.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

17.58%

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

$79.4 TTD 535

$122 ฿4,120

-35.16%

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

$46.34 TTD 312

$13.59 ฿457

240.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 TTD 412

$18.70 ฿629

227.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 TTD 67.4

$9.07 ฿305

10.14%

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

$326 TTD 2,199

$706 ฿23.8K

-53.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,079 TTD 47.7K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-55.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 TTD 400

$58.6 ฿1,970

1.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.67 TTD 261

$35.36 ฿1,190

9.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 TTD 968

$115 ฿3,885

24.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 TTD 850

$83.7 ฿2,818

50.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

5.33

0.94%

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

Last update for Arouca: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $89.0 in Arouca vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 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

Arouca vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arouca and Phuket differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($938 vs $1,250 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,407 in Arouca 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.

Childcare runs $326 in Arouca versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arouca – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $938 in Arouca versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arouca but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Arouca 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, Arouca 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 Arouca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.