Cost of Living Comparison Between Arrecife and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Arrecife and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,577 in Arrecife versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,346 in Arrecife versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Arrecife versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Arrecife is roughly 26% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arrecife is 18% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.10 €10.57

$4.55 ฿153

165.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 €46.33

$46.18 ฿1,550

14.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 €8.03

$8.84 ฿297

3.96%

Cappuccino

$2.22 €1.94

$3.06 ฿103

-27.45%

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

$2.11 €1.84

$0.73 ฿24.36

189.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.09

$0.40 ฿13.37

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 €2.53

$2.43 ฿81.6

19.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.05

$3.78 ฿127

-7.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.07

$2.26 ฿75.8

-45.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.81 ฿60.8

13.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 €1.04

$2.25 ฿75.7

-47.11%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.84

$2.25 ฿75.4

44.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 €10.20

$19.51 ฿655

-40.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.33 €6.41

$3.65 ฿122

100.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.63 €13.66

$13.05 ฿438

19.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$3.23 ฿109

-23.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 €2.13

$1.62 ฿54.3

50.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 €2.03

$2.38 ฿80.0

-2.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.21

$2.03 ฿68.0

24.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.53 ฿51.5

13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 €2.39

$1.50 ฿50.4

82.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 €1.58

$0.98 ฿32.85

84.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.80

$0.52 ฿17.36

76.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 €3.99

$4.44 ฿149

2.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.67 €5.82

$18.32 ฿615

-63.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.41

$1.86 ฿62.6

-12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.07

$2.68 ฿90.0

31.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.41 ฿47.37

43.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.13 €20.21

$11.70 ฿393

97.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 €3.00

$3.11 ฿104

10.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 €1.86

$1.04 ฿35.00

103.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.93 €20.03

$14.11 ฿474

62.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.31 ฿44.02

26.72%

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

$39.1K €34.1K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

40.39%

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

$29.6K €25.9K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-10.91%

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

$81.2 €70.9

$122 ฿4,110

-33.70%

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

$20.57 €17.97

$13.59 ฿456

51.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.52 €25.79

$18.70 ฿628

57.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.4 €61.6

$60.5 ฿2,031

16.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.06 €20.14

$16.98 ฿570

35.81%

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 €7.10

$9.07 ฿305

-10.36%

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

$528 €461

$706 ฿23.7K

-25.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,424 €5,613

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-59.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.8

$58.6 ฿1,965

75.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 €30.46

$35.36 ฿1,187

-1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 €79.8

$115 ฿3,876

-20.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €128

$83.7 ฿2,811

74.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$863 €754

$626 ฿21.0K

38.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 €618

$445 ฿14.9K

58.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 €1,276

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-28.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 €932

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-28.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 €2,964

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-2.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,212 €1,932

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-14.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,736 €1,517

$500 ฿16.8K

247.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

5.33

-35.65%

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

Last update for Arrecife: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $863 in Arrecife and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arrecife pays 247% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Arrecife vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $289, with Arrecife 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

Arrecife vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arrecife and Phuket differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,577 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 247% higher in Arrecife, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $863 in Arrecife versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $53.0 in Arrecife. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,577 per month in Arrecife versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,577 in Arrecife, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Arrecife. 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, Arrecife 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 26% less than in Arrecife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.