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: $947 in Arouca versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,653 in Arouca versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,359 in Arouca versus $3,329 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 29% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.22 TTD 68.5

$4.70 ฿153

117.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 TTD 601

$45.37 ฿1,482

97.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.19 TTD 48.19

$8.43 ฿275

-14.71%

Cappuccino

$3.67 TTD 24.57

$2.93 ฿95.6

25.26%

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

$1.06 TTD 7.09

$0.69 ฿22.40

53.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 TTD 5.20

$0.37 ฿11.99

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 TTD 12.24

$2.41 ฿78.6

-24.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 TTD 20.29

$3.72 ฿122

-18.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.67 TTD 17.86

$2.23 ฿72.9

19.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 TTD 18.21

$1.83 ฿59.8

48.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 TTD 17.22

$2.17 ฿70.8

18.43%

Eggs

$5.04 TTD 33.78

$2.21 ฿72.3

128.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 TTD 52.2

$19.74 ฿645

-60.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 TTD 69.1

$3.63 ฿119

184.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 TTD 94.7

$13.53 ฿442

4.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.85 TTD 39.23

$3.28 ฿107

78.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 TTD 17.61

$1.61 ฿52.6

63.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 TTD 28.14

$2.41 ฿78.6

74.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 TTD 31.33

$2.08 ฿68.1

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 TTD 9.55

$1.53 ฿49.93

-7.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 TTD 11.13

$1.48 ฿48.36

12.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 TTD 12.78

$0.99 ฿32.29

92.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 TTD 9.71

$0.51 ฿16.67

184.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 TTD 38.62

$4.41 ฿144

30.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 TTD 125

$19.38 ฿633

-3.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 TTD 14.18

$1.78 ฿58.1

19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 TTD 18.26

$2.71 ฿88.6

0.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 TTD 6.97

$3.02 ฿98.6

-65.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 TTD 8.24

$0.99 ฿32.48

24.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.53 TTD 97.3

$14.10 ฿461

3.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 TTD 7.63

$1.36 ฿44.51

-16.18%

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

$34.1K TTD 228.8K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

21.07%

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

$39.0K TTD 261.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

18.41%

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

$81.2 TTD 544

$122 ฿3,975

-33.32%

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

$45.98 TTD 308

$13.57 ฿443

238.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 TTD 420

$18.31 ฿598

242.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 TTD 68.8

$8.69 ฿284

18.30%

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

$329 TTD 2,207

$693 ฿22.6K

-52.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,066 TTD 47.3K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-54.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 TTD 399

$59.5 ฿1,944

-0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.43 TTD 257

$34.77 ฿1,136

10.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 TTD 969

$115 ฿3,743

26.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 TTD 871

$83.3 ฿2,720

56.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $90.0 in Arouca vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 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

Arouca vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arouca and Phuket differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($947 vs $1,265 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,420 in Arouca 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.

Childcare runs $329 in Arouca versus $693 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 $90.0 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Arouca versus $1,265 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 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.