Cost of Living Comparison Between Benalmadena and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Benalmadena and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,881 per month in Benalmadena vs $1,264 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,804 per month in Benalmadena vs $2,256 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,728 per month in Benalmadena vs $3,248 in Phuket, rent included.

Benalmadena costs about 49% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Benalmadena sits 41% above the global median, while Phuket is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 €12.07

$4.48 ฿150

211.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 €47.26

$45.59 ฿1,521

19.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.06 €7.85

$8.76 ฿292

3.42%

Cappuccino

$2.28 €1.97

$2.97 ฿99.0

-23.23%

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

$2.27 €1.96

$0.69 ฿22.90

228.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.61

$0.39 ฿13.04

376.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 €2.83

$2.53 ฿84.4

29.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 €3.79

$3.75 ฿125

16.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.06

$2.15 ฿71.6

-43.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.82 ฿60.6

-17.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 €1.60

$2.18 ฿72.9

-15.14%

Eggs

$3.36 €2.91

$2.25 ฿75.0

49.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 €13.25

$20.00 ฿667

-23.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 €8.07

$3.63 ฿121

156.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 €15.34

$13.56 ฿452

30.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$3.24 ฿108

-22.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 €1.80

$1.64 ฿54.6

26.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.33 ฿77.8

-24.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 €2.41

$2.07 ฿69.1

34.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.55 ฿51.6

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.46 ฿48.54

38.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.24

$0.98 ฿32.86

45.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$0.48 ฿16.09

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.67 €5.78

$4.35 ฿145

53.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.01 €5.21

$18.57 ฿620

-67.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.86 ฿61.9

-25.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.01

$2.65 ฿88.6

-12.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.42 ฿47.28

40.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.85 €29.31

$11.57 ฿386

192.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 €3.96

$3.17 ฿106

44.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.03 ฿34.41

4.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.27 €21.02

$13.89 ฿463

74.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.34 ฿44.84

37.31%

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

$38.3K €33.2K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

37.77%

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

$30.9K €26.8K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-7.43%

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

$135 €117

$123 ฿4,105

10.08%

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

$17.96 €15.55

$13.77 ฿459

30.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.86 €31.05

$18.33 ฿611

95.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.56 €41.18

$60.7 ฿2,025

-21.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 €13.15

$17.16 ฿573

-11.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.35 €8.10

$8.87 ฿296

5.41%

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

$461 €400

$688 ฿22.9K

-32.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,117 €7,895

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-42.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 €73.5

$59.3 ฿1,978

43.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.78 €35.32

$34.69 ฿1,157

17.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 €80.6

$115 ฿3,843

-19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 €102

$83.8 ฿2,794

41.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 €893

$621 ฿20.7K

66.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 €780

$446 ฿14.9K

101.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 €1,654

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-6.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 €1,390

$1,496 ฿49.9K

7.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,257 €3,686

$3,455 ฿115.3K

23.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,639 €3,152

$2,531 ฿84.4K

43.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,008 €3,471

$494 ฿16.5K

711.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.33

-35.08%

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

Last update for Benalmadena: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,032 in Benalmadena versus $621 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 712% higher in Benalmadena, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Benalmadena versus $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Benalmadena vs $291 in Phuket – so Benalmadena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Benalmadena vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Benalmadena is pricier by about 49%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,821 per month in Benalmadena and $1,896 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 1% cheaper in Benalmadena – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Benalmadena and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,264, than in Benalmadena at $1,881. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Benalmadena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Benalmadena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.