Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Aruba and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,799 in Aruba versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,039 in Aruba versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,279 in Aruba versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Aruba is roughly 121% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Aruba is 109% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 AWG 23.60

$4.70 ฿154

180.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 AWG 160

$45.37 ฿1,483

96.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.04 AWG 17.96

$8.43 ฿276

19.10%

Cappuccino

$4.90 AWG 8.77

$2.93 ฿95.7

67.24%

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

$2.31 AWG 4.13

$0.69 ฿22.42

234.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 AWG 3.74

$0.37 ฿12.00

464.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.19 AWG 7.50

$2.41 ฿78.7

73.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 AWG 11.20

$3.72 ฿122

68.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 AWG 4.27

$2.23 ฿73.0

7.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 AWG 6.66

$1.83 ฿59.9

103.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 AWG 7.02

$2.17 ฿70.9

80.65%

Eggs

$5.61 AWG 10.04

$2.21 ฿72.4

153.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.39 AWG 58.0

$19.74 ฿645

64.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 AWG 11.66

$3.63 ฿119

79.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.71 AWG 29.91

$13.53 ฿442

23.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 AWG 10.60

$3.28 ฿107

80.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 AWG 5.23

$1.61 ฿52.7

81.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.95 AWG 12.44

$2.41 ฿78.7

188.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.23 AWG 14.73

$2.08 ฿68.1

295.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 AWG 7.31

$1.53 ฿49.97

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.76 AWG 6.74

$1.48 ฿48.41

154.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.09 AWG 10.90

$0.99 ฿32.32

515.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 AWG 6.89

$0.51 ฿16.68

654.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.75 AWG 31.76

$4.41 ฿144

302.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.08 AWG 32.36

$19.38 ฿634

-6.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 AWG 9.07

$2.71 ฿88.7

87.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 AWG 2.53

$1.36 ฿44.55

3.68%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$257 AWG 460

$122 ฿3,978

111.22%

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

$131 AWG 234

$13.57 ฿444

864.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 AWG 119

$18.31 ฿599

262.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.3 AWG 108

$60.2 ฿1,969

0.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 AWG 23.03

$8.69 ฿284

48.10%

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

$304 AWG 544

$693 ฿22.7K

-56.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K AWG 31.7K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

13.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.48 AWG 88.6

$59.5 ฿1,946

-16.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 AWG 117

$34.77 ฿1,137

88.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 AWG 219

$115 ฿3,746

6.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 AWG 1,312

$613 ฿20.0K

19.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 AWG 2,487

$437 ฿14.3K

217.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,140 AWG 5,621

$2,094 ฿68.5K

49.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,018 AWG 7,191

$1,509 ฿49.3K

166.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,895 AWG 3,391

$508 ฿16.6K

272.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

31.33%

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

Last update for Aruba: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Aruba and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aruba pays 273% 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: $89.0 in Aruba vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $532 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

Aruba vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aruba and Phuket differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($2,799 vs $1,265 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Aruba pays 273% more on average, 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: $733 in Aruba versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Aruba. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,799 per month in Aruba versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 121% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,799 in Aruba, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Aruba. 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, Aruba 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 121% less than in Aruba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.