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: $1,650 in Canary Islands versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,389 in Canary Islands versus $2,078 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,129 in Canary Islands versus $2,896 in Phuket.

Living in Canary Islands is roughly 31% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Canary Islands is 20% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.40 €16.60

$4.43 ฿145

337.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 €53.5

$35.07 ฿1,151

78.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 €8.43

$8.96 ฿294

9.93%

Cappuccino

$2.11 €1.80

$3.00 ฿98.4

-29.67%

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

$1.94 €1.66

$0.77 ฿25.33

151.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.00

$0.47 ฿15.44

148.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 €2.45

$2.40 ฿78.6

19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 €3.05

$3.75 ฿123

-5.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.11

$1.82 ฿59.8

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 €2.19

$1.42 ฿46.65

80.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.36

$1.55 ฿50.8

2.58%

Eggs

$2.28 €1.95

$2.13 ฿69.9

7.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.94 €17.06

$19.76 ฿648

0.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.36 €8.86

$3.48 ฿114

197.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.31

$11.09 ฿364

61.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.46

$2.91 ฿95.5

-1.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.00

$1.66 ฿54.6

40.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.27 ฿74.5

0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 €2.27

$2.10 ฿68.8

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.81

$1.47 ฿48.24

44.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.41 ฿46.29

39.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.09 ฿35.78

52.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.65

$0.54 ฿17.58

40.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 €4.06

$4.48 ฿147

6.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.29 €7.09

$18.72 ฿614

-55.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.84 ฿60.4

-5.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.95 ฿96.7

-41.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 €0.71

$2.26 ฿74.1

-63.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.62

$3.04 ฿99.9

39.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 €1.50

$1.09 ฿35.82

61.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.03 €14.57

$3.82 ฿125

345.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 €1.38

$1.49 ฿48.79

8.72%

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

$25.5K €21.8K

$27.4K ฿900.3K

-7.06%

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

$30.4K €26.0K

$27.5K ฿902.7K

10.57%

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

$127 €108

$102 ฿3,340

24.34%

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

$21.99 €18.81

$11.28 ฿370

94.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.91 €30.72

$17.75 ฿582

102.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.47 €42.32

$54.2 ฿1,777

-8.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.94 €21.34

$10.96 ฿360

127.55%

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 €8.51

$7.85 ฿258

26.75%

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

$412 €352

$577 ฿18.9K

-28.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,219 €4,465

$11.6K ฿381.6K

-55.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 €59.1

$65.4 ฿2,144

5.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.32 €34.49

$28.89 ฿948

39.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 €79.4

$99.1 ฿3,250

-6.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €100

$90.3 ฿2,961

29.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 €989

$756 ฿24.8K

52.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 €590

$487 ฿16.0K

41.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$864 €739

$1,207 ฿39.6K

-28.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,426 €1,219

$502 ฿16.5K

183.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.33

5.57

-40.22%

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

Last update for Canary Islands: August 16, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,156 in Canary Islands and $756 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canary Islands pays 184% 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: $63.0 in Canary Islands vs $35.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $325 vs $272 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 31% 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.

Average pay runs 184% higher in Canary Islands, 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: $1,156 in Canary Islands versus $756 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Canary Islands. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,650 per month in Canary Islands versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,650 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 $1,261 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 31% less than in Canary Islands. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.