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: $775 in Arouca versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,317 in Arouca versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,859 in Arouca versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Arouca costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Arouca 44% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.14 TTD 67.5

$4.56 ฿150

122.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 TTD 399

$32.62 ฿1,073

84.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 TTD 53.6

$8.90 ฿293

-9.44%

Cappuccino

$3.79 TTD 25.23

$2.80 ฿92.2

35.36%

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

$0.99 TTD 6.59

$0.88 ฿28.94

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 TTD 4.84

$0.49 ฿16.08

48.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 TTD 12.46

$2.39 ฿78.5

-21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 TTD 16.78

$3.71 ฿122

-32.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 TTD 13.26

$1.79 ฿58.8

11.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 TTD 15.61

$1.44 ฿47.40

63.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 TTD 18.79

$1.58 ฿52.1

78.48%

Eggs

$3.74 TTD 24.87

$2.13 ฿69.9

75.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.59 TTD 43.88

$19.92 ฿655

-66.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.01 TTD 66.6

$3.43 ฿113

191.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.07 TTD 60.4

$11.33 ฿372

-19.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 TTD 35.94

$2.95 ฿97.0

83.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 TTD 16.91

$1.72 ฿56.6

47.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 TTD 24.26

$2.32 ฿76.5

57.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 TTD 29.23

$2.08 ฿68.4

111.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 TTD 4.71

$1.47 ฿48.34

-51.70%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 TTD 4.84

$1.36 ฿44.65

-46.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 TTD 9.55

$1.10 ฿36.13

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 TTD 8.04

$0.57 ฿18.89

112.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 TTD 36.83

$4.27 ฿140

29.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.82 TTD 119

$18.42 ฿606

-3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 TTD 9.83

$1.87 ฿61.5

-20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 TTD 20.55

$2.92 ฿96.1

5.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 TTD 6.09

$3.03 ฿99.6

-69.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 TTD 5.94

$1.07 ฿35.32

-16.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.87 TTD 99.0

$3.93 ฿129

278.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 TTD 7.77

$1.49 ฿49.06

-21.48%

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

$37.5K TTD 249.6K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

38.27%

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

$40.4K TTD 269.1K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

47.30%

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

$43.83 TTD 292

$103 ฿3,380

-57.36%

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

$42.70 TTD 284

$10.99 ฿361

288.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.62 TTD 297

$17.51 ฿576

154.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$8.98 TTD 59.7

$7.48 ฿246

20.05%

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

$400 TTD 2,661

$557 ฿18.3K

-28.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K TTD 68.3K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-13.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 TTD 361

$64.1 ฿2,107

-15.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.15 TTD 247

$29.07 ฿956

27.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 TTD 580

$96.0 ฿3,155

-9.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 TTD 590

$90.3 ฿2,970

-1.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

5.57

3.23%

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

Last update for Arouca: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $60.0 in Arouca vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $273 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 62% in total monthly costs ($775 vs $1,253 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,162 in Arouca and $1,880 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 $400 in Arouca versus $557 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 $60.0 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $775 in Arouca versus $1,253 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 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.