Cost of Living Comparison Between Canary Islands and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Canary Islands and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,549 in Canary Islands versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,199 in Canary Islands versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,849 in Canary Islands versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Canary Islands is roughly 26% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Canary Islands is 16% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.24 €14.72

$4.63 ฿151

272.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 €50.2

$46.84 ฿1,523

25.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 €8.35

$8.84 ฿287

10.52%

Cappuccino

$1.77 €1.51

$3.00 ฿97.4

-41.00%

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

$1.81 €1.55

$0.74 ฿24.11

144.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.90

$0.37 ฿11.88

183.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 €2.41

$2.44 ฿79.3

15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 €2.73

$3.61 ฿117

-11.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.05

$2.26 ฿73.5

-45.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.51

$1.84 ฿59.8

-3.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 €1.25

$2.24 ฿73.0

-34.82%

Eggs

$3.07 €2.62

$2.32 ฿75.3

32.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.28 €14.75

$19.67 ฿639

-12.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 €7.27

$3.65 ฿119

133.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.69 €12.55

$13.10 ฿426

12.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.11

$3.39 ฿110

-27.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.64 ฿53.4

2.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$2.41 ฿78.5

-34.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$2.03 ฿66.0

24.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 €1.38

$1.56 ฿50.6

3.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 €1.50

$1.50 ฿48.66

17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.02 ฿33.30

43.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.56

$0.49 ฿15.91

34.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.66 €3.98

$4.45 ฿145

4.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.88 €5.88

$18.88 ฿614

-63.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.26

$1.78 ฿57.7

-17.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.48

$2.75 ฿89.5

-36.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.40 ฿45.54

22.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.35 €29.34

$11.48 ฿373

199.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.88 €3.31

$3.12 ฿101

24.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 €1.08

$1.00 ฿32.48

27.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.19 €14.68

$14.09 ฿458

22.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.44

$1.35 ฿43.93

25.19%

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

$25.4K €21.7K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-6.43%

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

$30.4K €26.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-7.53%

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

$91.7 €78.3

$125 ฿4,063

-26.61%

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

$21.81 €18.63

$13.57 ฿441

60.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.11 €26.56

$18.52 ฿602

67.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.34 €42.13

$61.5 ฿1,999

-19.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.82 €21.20

$16.84 ฿547

47.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.73 €8.31

$9.19 ฿299

5.88%

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

$344 €294

$698 ฿22.7K

-50.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,533 €7,287

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-45.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.3 €58.3

$57.8 ฿1,878

18.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.99 €29.03

$35.24 ฿1,146

-3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 €67.8

$113 ฿3,677

-29.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 €60.1

$86.4 ฿2,808

-18.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 €974

$616 ฿20.0K

85.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 €606

$446 ฿14.5K

59.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 €1,907

$2,048 ฿66.6K

9.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 €678

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-46.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,476 €2,969

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-8.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,327 €1,987

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-12.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,456 €1,243

$524 ฿17.0K

177.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

5.33

-37.52%

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

Last update for Canary Islands: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,141 in Canary Islands and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canary Islands pays 178% 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: $59.0 in Canary Islands vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $292, with Canary Islands cheaper for home cooking.

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

Canary Islands vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Canary Islands. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Canary Islands pays 178% 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: $1,141 in Canary Islands versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Canary Islands pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $59.0 in Canary Islands. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,549 in Canary Islands, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Canary Islands. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Canary Islands 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 26% less than in Canary Islands. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.