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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,882 per month in Benalmadena vs $1,261 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,800 per month in Benalmadena vs $2,286 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,718 per month in Benalmadena vs $3,310 in Phuket, rent included.

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

Benalmadena sits 40% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.69 €11.80

$4.56 ฿149

200.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 €47.22

$46.63 ฿1,519

17.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 €7.94

$8.47 ฿276

8.74%

Cappuccino

$2.25 €1.94

$3.03 ฿98.6

-25.74%

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

$2.26 €1.94

$0.69 ฿22.45

227.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.65

$0.37 ฿11.92

416.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 €2.69

$2.49 ฿81.0

25.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 €3.70

$3.66 ฿119

17.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.00

$2.18 ฿71.0

-46.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.90 ฿62.0

-16.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.20 ฿71.6

-13.64%

Eggs

$3.42 €2.95

$2.22 ฿72.4

54.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 €13.11

$19.99 ฿651

-23.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.35 €8.06

$3.66 ฿119

155.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.84 €15.37

$13.25 ฿432

34.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$3.23 ฿105

-20.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.70 ฿55.3

27.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$2.39 ฿78.0

-24.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.08 ฿67.7

33.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.59 ฿51.8

17.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.48 ฿48.31

43.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.28

$1.03 ฿33.54

43.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.52 ฿16.83

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.73

$4.25 ฿138

56.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 €5.05

$18.79 ฿612

-68.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.76 ฿57.2

-24.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.76 ฿89.8

-15.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.36 ฿44.32

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.93 €29.24

$11.36 ฿370

198.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 €3.98

$3.14 ฿102

47.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.04 ฿33.74

3.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.04 €21.58

$13.77 ฿448

81.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.34 ฿43.79

35.07%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

41.06%

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

$31.0K €26.7K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-8.58%

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

$134 €115

$124 ฿4,025

8.44%

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

$17.77 €15.31

$13.52 ฿440

31.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.81 €31.71

$18.69 ฿609

96.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.74 €41.13

$61.8 ฿2,013

-22.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 €13.13

$17.25 ฿562

-11.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.99 €7.75

$9.14 ฿298

-1.64%

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

$457 €394

$703 ฿22.9K

-34.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,111 €7,850

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-42.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$59.5 ฿1,937

44.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.84 €36.05

$35.07 ฿1,142

19.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 €81.1

$115 ฿3,754

-18.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$84.1 ฿2,737

37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 €873

$619 ฿20.1K

63.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 €786

$433 ฿14.1K

111.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 €1,614

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-9.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 €1,377

$1,511 ฿49.2K

5.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,316 €3,718

$3,646 ฿118.7K

18.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,675 €3,166

$2,626 ฿85.5K

39.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,978 €3,428

$507 ฿16.5K

684.66%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,014 in Benalmadena versus $619 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 685% 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 $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $289 in Benalmadena vs $293 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 $2,823 per month in Benalmadena and $1,892 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 $47.00 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 $1,261, than in Benalmadena at $1,882. 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.