Cost of Living Comparison Between Carrara and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Carrara and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,651 per month in Carrara vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,571 per month in Carrara vs $2,255 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,492 per month in Carrara vs $3,279 in Phuket, rent included.

Carrara costs about 34% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Carrara sits 23% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.49 €17.50

$4.63 ฿151

342.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 €70.5

$46.84 ฿1,523

76.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 €8.76

$8.84 ฿287

16.06%

Cappuccino

$1.76 €1.50

$3.00 ฿97.4

-41.33%

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

$2.77 €2.36

$0.74 ฿24.11

274.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 €1.02

$0.37 ฿11.88

221.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 €4.99

$2.44 ฿79.3

139.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.85

$3.61 ฿117

57.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.34

$2.26 ฿73.5

-30.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.83

$1.84 ฿59.8

16.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 €2.40

$2.24 ฿73.0

25.45%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.22

$2.32 ฿75.3

62.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.55 €11.57

$19.67 ฿639

-31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.25 €11.31

$3.65 ฿119

263.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.91 €15.30

$13.10 ฿426

36.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$3.39 ฿110

-29.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.64 ฿53.4

34.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.41 ฿78.5

-19.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 €2.48

$2.03 ฿66.0

43.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 €1.33

$1.56 ฿50.6

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.14

$1.50 ฿48.66

-10.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.02 ฿33.30

48.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 €0.27

$0.49 ฿15.91

-34.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.10

$4.45 ฿145

60.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.65 €7.39

$18.88 ฿614

-54.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.78 ฿57.7

-5.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 €1.58

$2.75 ฿89.5

-32.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.40 ฿45.54

37.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.97 €34.14

$11.48 ฿373

248.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 €4.82

$3.12 ฿101

80.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 €1.20

$1.00 ฿32.48

41.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.49 €25.18

$14.09 ฿458

109.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.35 ฿43.93

54.07%

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

$26.5K €22.6K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-2.62%

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

$34.2K €29.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

3.95%

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

$181 €155

$125 ฿4,063

44.86%

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

$14.09 €12.03

$13.57 ฿441

3.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.70 €25.36

$18.52 ฿602

60.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.18 €37.73

$61.5 ฿1,999

-28.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 €16.86

$16.84 ฿547

17.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.08 €7.76

$9.19 ฿299

-1.20%

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

$668 €571

$698 ฿22.7K

-4.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,675 €3,993

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-70.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.23 €19.84

$57.8 ฿1,878

-59.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.40 €37.92

$35.24 ฿1,146

25.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.9

$113 ฿3,677

-17.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €120

$86.4 ฿2,808

62.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 €477

$616 ฿20.0K

-9.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$582 €497

$446 ฿14.5K

30.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 €679

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-61.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$923 €788

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-38.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,079 €2,629

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-18.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,099 €1,793

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-20.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,739 €1,485

$524 ฿17.0K

231.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.83

5.33

-9.38%

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

Last update for Carrara: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $558 in Carrara 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 232% higher in Carrara, 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 $83.0 in Carrara versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $318 vs $292 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Carrara vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carrara costs about 34% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,476 per month in Carrara 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.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Carrara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $83.0 in Carrara 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 $1,232, than in Carrara at $1,651. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carrara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,232 versus $1,651 in Carrara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Carrara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.