Cost of Living Comparison Between Caldas da Rainha and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Caldas da Rainha and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,590 per month in Caldas da Rainha vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,427 per month in Caldas da Rainha vs $2,054 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,264 per month in Caldas da Rainha vs $2,876 in Phuket, rent included.

Caldas da Rainha costs about 29% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Caldas da Rainha sits 16% above the global median, while Phuket is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.14 €14.07

$4.41 ฿147

265.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.5 €44.86

$32.26 ฿1,077

59.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 €8.99

$8.93 ฿298

15.45%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.82

$2.90 ฿96.6

-27.93%

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

$2.35 €2.05

$0.88 ฿29.38

167.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.26

$0.48 ฿16.06

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 €2.46

$2.35 ฿78.5

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 €3.42

$3.72 ฿124

5.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.87 ฿62.3

-42.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.47 ฿48.94

1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 €1.40

$1.55 ฿51.8

3.87%

Eggs

$3.07 €2.68

$2.10 ฿70.1

46.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 €9.44

$19.59 ฿654

-44.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 €6.55

$3.42 ฿114

119.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 €11.62

$11.38 ฿380

17.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$2.98 ฿99.6

-32.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.68 ฿56.2

-16.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$2.21 ฿73.7

-19.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.20

$2.16 ฿72.1

16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.77

$1.52 ฿50.9

33.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.66

$1.34 ฿44.67

41.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.13 ฿37.67

12.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.55 ฿18.24

49.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 €5.07

$4.26 ฿142

36.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.26 €3.72

$19.09 ฿637

-77.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.78 ฿59.4

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.78 ฿92.9

-36.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 €3.20

$2.23 ฿74.4

64.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.84 €30.37

$22.74 ฿759

53.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 €2.56

$3.03 ฿101

-2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.49 ฿49.77

32.21%

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

$34.5K €30.1K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

29.82%

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

$39.3K €34.2K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

45.28%

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

$112 €97.6

$102 ฿3,420

9.22%

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

$18.62 €16.23

$11.33 ฿378

64.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.05 €35.78

$17.40 ฿581

135.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 €43.65

$52.1 ฿1,738

-3.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.57 €24.90

$11.07 ฿370

158.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.91

$7.69 ฿257

17.95%

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

$423 €369

$561 ฿18.7K

-24.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,888 €5,133

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-48.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.3 €84.9

$63.0 ฿2,104

54.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.91 €38.28

$29.52 ฿986

48.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €100

$98.0 ฿3,272

17.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 €61.2

$88.5 ฿2,954

-20.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$940 €819

$738 ฿24.6K

27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 €588

$482 ฿16.1K

39.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 €1,294

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-29.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 €1,034

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-3.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,970 €2,589

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-17.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,360 €2,057

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-9.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,192 €1,039

$494 ฿16.5K

141.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.11

5.57

-44.17%

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

Last update for Caldas da Rainha: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $940 in Caldas da Rainha versus $738 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 142% higher in Caldas da Rainha, 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 $51.0 in Caldas da Rainha versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $238 in Caldas da Rainha vs $274 in Phuket – so Caldas da Rainha 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

Caldas da Rainha vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Caldas da Rainha is pricier by about 29%, 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 $2,385 per month in Caldas da Rainha and $1,847 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $51.0 in Caldas da Rainha and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,590 in Caldas da Rainha and $1,232 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Caldas da Rainha at $1,590. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caldas da Rainha 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, Caldas da Rainha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.