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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,712 per month in Carrara vs $1,265 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,568 per month in Carrara vs $2,089 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,424 per month in Carrara vs $2,913 in Phuket, rent included.

Carrara costs about 35% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Carrara sits 24% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.89 €16.28

$4.66 ฿154

305.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €59.9

$32.22 ฿1,065

115.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 €8.90

$8.68 ฿287

19.01%

Cappuccino

$1.77 €1.53

$2.90 ฿95.8

-38.97%

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

$2.69 €2.32

$0.84 ฿27.89

220.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.99

$0.49 ฿16.16

134.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 €5.08

$2.48 ฿82.0

137.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 €5.48

$3.73 ฿123

70.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 €1.25

$1.89 ฿62.3

-23.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.41 ฿46.54

59.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 €2.43

$1.62 ฿53.6

74.07%

Eggs

$3.64 €3.14

$2.24 ฿74.1

62.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 €11.40

$19.84 ฿656

-33.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.14 €11.33

$3.48 ฿115

277.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.72 €15.27

$11.37 ฿376

55.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$2.90 ฿95.8

-22.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.72 ฿57.0

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.27 ฿75.1

-13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$2.13 ฿70.4

21.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.47 ฿48.72

11.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.42 ฿46.92

0.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.32

$1.10 ฿36.25

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 €0.29

$0.60 ฿19.76

-45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.00 €6.03

$4.31 ฿142

62.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.32 €7.17

$18.60 ฿615

-55.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.45

$1.80 ฿59.5

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.97 ฿98.0

-34.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.25 ฿74.2

-10.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.64 €34.17

$23.49 ฿776

68.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

$3.10 ฿102

85.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.33

$1.08 ฿35.56

42.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.57 €24.62

$3.87 ฿128

638.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.43 ฿47.16

46.85%

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

$38.1K €32.9K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

37.29%

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

$37.0K €31.9K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

36.98%

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

$223 €192

$105 ฿3,462

112.66%

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

$12.31 €10.61

$11.39 ฿376

8.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.25 €24.35

$17.54 ฿580

61.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.75 €32.54

$54.3 ฿1,795

-30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.27 €21.78

$11.44 ฿378

120.89%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 €10.49

$7.78 ฿257

56.43%

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

$576 €496

$576 ฿19.0K

-0.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,665 €4,021

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-59.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.85 €19.70

$63.6 ฿2,103

-64.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.37 €39.11

$29.10 ฿961

55.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 €81.3

$96.2 ฿3,179

-2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 €119

$90.0 ฿2,974

53.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$545 €470

$733 ฿24.2K

-25.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$592 €510

$501 ฿16.5K

18.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-42.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 €779

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-27.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,069 €2,646

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-13.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,093 €1,804

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-20.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,776 €1,531

$508 ฿16.8K

249.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.57

-37.88%

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

Last update for Carrara: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $545 in Carrara versus $733 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 250% 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 $69.0 in Carrara versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $311 vs $275 – 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 35% 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 $2,567 per month in Carrara and $1,898 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 13% 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 $69.0 in Carrara and $32.00 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 $1,265, than in Carrara at $1,712. 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 $1,265 versus $1,712 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.