Cost of Living Comparison Between Benidorm and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Benidorm and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,763 per month in Benidorm vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,604 per month in Benidorm vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,444 per month in Benidorm vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Benidorm costs about 43% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Benidorm sits 32% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
ðŸ― Eating Out
Benidorm
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.05 ₮12.88
$4.63 āļŋ151
225.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.3 ₮44.80
$46.84 āļŋ1,532
11.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.01 ₮8.57
$8.84 āļŋ289
13.24%
Cappuccino
$2.44 ₮2.09
$3.00 āļŋ98.0
-18.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 ₮2.01
$0.74 āļŋ24.25
217.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 ₮1.21
$0.37 āļŋ11.95
283.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 ₮2.90
$2.44 āļŋ79.8
38.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 ₮3.04
$3.61 āļŋ118
-1.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Benidorm
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 ₮0.96
$2.26 āļŋ73.9
-50.44%
White Bread (500g)
$1.35 ₮1.15
$1.84 āļŋ60.1
-26.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 ₮1.26
$2.24 āļŋ73.4
-33.93%
Eggs
$2.82 ₮2.41
$2.32 āļŋ75.7
21.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.29 ₮9.67
$19.67 āļŋ643
-42.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.59 ₮7.35
$3.65 āļŋ119
135.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.95 ₮11.94
$13.10 āļŋ428
6.49%
Apples (1kg)
$2.09 ₮1.79
$3.39 āļŋ111
-38.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 ₮1.53
$1.64 āļŋ53.7
9.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.04 ₮1.75
$2.41 āļŋ79.0
-15.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.35 ₮2.01
$2.03 āļŋ66.4
15.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 ₮1.55
$1.56 āļŋ50.9
16.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.95 ₮1.67
$1.50 āļŋ48.94
30.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 ₮0.93
$1.02 āļŋ33.50
6.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 ₮0.37
$0.49 āļŋ16.00
-10.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.37 ₮5.46
$4.45 āļŋ145
43.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.39 ₮4.61
$18.88 āļŋ617
-71.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 ₮1.13
$1.78 āļŋ58.1
-25.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.51 ₮1.29
$2.75 āļŋ90.1
-45.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Benidorm
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.86 ₮1.59
$1.40 āļŋ45.81
32.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.02 ₮35.11
$11.48 āļŋ376
257.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.57 ₮3.05
$3.12 āļŋ102
14.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.21 ₮1.03
$1.00 āļŋ32.67
21.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.91 ₮21.32
$14.09 āļŋ461
76.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.83 ₮1.56
$1.35 āļŋ44.19
35.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.3K ₮27.7K
$27.2K āļŋ888.9K
18.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K ₮28.2K
$32.9K āļŋ1.1M
-0.03%
ðŸ§ū Monthly Utilities & Internet
Benidorm
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$141 ₮120
$125 āļŋ4,087
12.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.45 ₮11.51
$13.57 āļŋ444
-0.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.06 ₮25.73
$18.52 āļŋ606
62.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Benidorm
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.8 ₮44.30
$61.5 āļŋ2,010
-15.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$41.28 ₮35.34
$16.84 āļŋ551
145.13%
Cinema Ticket
$10.04 ₮8.60
$9.19 āļŋ300
9.25%
ðŸ§ļ Childcare & Education
Benidorm
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$400 ₮342
$698 āļŋ22.8K
-42.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,399 ₮6,334
$15.6K āļŋ509.9K
-52.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Benidorm
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100 ₮85.8
$57.8 āļŋ1,889
73.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.32 ₮25.10
$35.24 āļŋ1,152
-16.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.1 ₮60.0
$113 āļŋ3,699
-38.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 ₮88.8
$86.4 āļŋ2,825
20.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Benidorm
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$970 ₮831
$616 āļŋ20.1K
57.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$856 ₮733
$446 āļŋ14.6K
92.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,618 ₮1,385
$2,048 āļŋ67.0K
-20.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,325 ₮1,134
$1,492 āļŋ48.8K
-11.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,397 ₮4,620
$3,779 āļŋ123.6K
42.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,877 ₮2,463
$2,649 āļŋ86.6K
8.61%
ðŸ’ĩ Salaries & Financials
Benidorm
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,817 ₮1,555
$524 āļŋ17.1K
246.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.13
5.33
-41.28%

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

Last update for Benidorm: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $970 in Benidorm versus $616 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 247% higher in Benidorm, 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 $52.0 in Benidorm versus $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Benidorm vs $292 in Phuket – so Benidorm 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
Benidorm vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Benidorm?
Yes – Benidorm is pricier by about 43%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,645 per month in Benidorm and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $400 per month in Benidorm and $698 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Benidorm and Phuket?
Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Benidorm – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Benidorm or Phuket?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Benidorm at $1,763. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Benidorm it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Benidorm or Phuket more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Benidorm or Phuket?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Benidorm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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