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: $1,602 in Arrecife versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,386 in Arrecife versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,170 in Arrecife versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Arrecife is roughly 30% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arrecife is 17% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 €10.22

$4.41 ฿147

165.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.84 €39.96

$32.26 ฿1,077

42.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 €7.89

$8.93 ฿298

1.34%

Cappuccino

$2.61 €2.27

$2.90 ฿96.6

-10.00%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.88 ฿29.38

160.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.48 ฿16.06

262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 €2.73

$2.35 ฿78.5

33.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 €3.33

$3.72 ฿124

2.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.87 ฿62.3

-36.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 €1.27

$1.47 ฿48.94

-0.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.55 ฿51.8

-13.55%

Eggs

$3.66 €3.19

$2.10 ฿70.1

74.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 €11.04

$19.59 ฿654

-35.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 €6.71

$3.42 ฿114

124.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 €12.46

$11.38 ฿380

25.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.27

$2.98 ฿99.6

-12.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.39

$1.68 ฿56.2

63.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 €2.03

$2.21 ฿73.7

5.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$2.16 ฿72.1

20.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.52 ฿50.9

22.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 €2.19

$1.34 ฿44.67

87.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.13 ฿37.67

61.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 €0.75

$0.55 ฿18.24

56.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.74 €4.14

$4.26 ฿142

11.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 €5.94

$19.09 ฿637

-64.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.78 ฿59.4

-5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.78 ฿92.9

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.70

$2.23 ฿74.4

-12.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.82 €29.48

$22.74 ฿759

48.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 €3.00

$3.03 ฿101

13.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.02 ฿34.15

123.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.00 €20.05

$3.89 ฿130

491.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.49 ฿49.77

14.09%

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

$37.0K €32.3K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

39.36%

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

$29.9K €26.1K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

10.67%

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

$116 €101

$102 ฿3,420

12.76%

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

$20.57 €17.93

$11.33 ฿378

81.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.67 €24.99

$17.40 ฿581

64.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.97 €40.07

$52.1 ฿1,738

-11.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.20 €14.99

$11.07 ฿370

55.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 €6.97

$7.69 ฿257

4.03%

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

$490 €427

$561 ฿18.7K

-12.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,972 €6,077

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-39.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.3 €79.6

$63.0 ฿2,104

44.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.50 €30.94

$29.52 ฿986

20.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 €79.8

$98.0 ฿3,272

-6.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €111

$88.5 ฿2,954

43.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$871 €759

$738 ฿24.6K

17.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 €607

$482 ฿16.1K

44.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 €1,285

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-30.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 €940

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-12.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,389 €2,955

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-6.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,304 €2,009

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-11.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,770 €1,543

$494 ฿16.5K

258.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.15

5.57

-43.45%

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

Last update for Arrecife: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $871 in Arrecife and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arrecife pays 259% 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: $46.00 in Arrecife vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $274, 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,602 vs $1,232 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 259% 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: $871 in Arrecife versus $738 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 $32.00 versus $46.00 in Arrecife. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,602 per month in Arrecife versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,602 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 30% less than in Arrecife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.