Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Real and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Real and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,177 in Ciudad Real versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,835 in Ciudad Real versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,492 in Ciudad Real versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Ciudad Real costs roughly 4% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ciudad Real 14% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 €12.20

$4.41 ฿147

217.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 €45.24

$32.26 ฿1,077

60.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.16

$8.93 ฿298

30.46%

Cappuccino

$2.47 €2.15

$2.90 ฿96.6

-14.83%

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

$2.66 €2.32

$0.88 ฿29.38

202.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.48 ฿16.06

343.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.06

$2.35 ฿78.5

49.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 €3.92

$3.72 ฿124

20.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.87 ฿62.3

-29.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 €0.61

$1.47 ฿48.94

-52.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.55 ฿51.8

-4.52%

Eggs

$2.85 €2.49

$2.10 ฿70.1

35.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.10 €7.93

$19.59 ฿654

-53.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 €5.02

$3.42 ฿114

68.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 €9.03

$11.38 ฿380

-8.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.98 ฿99.6

-24.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.68 ฿56.2

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 €1.50

$2.21 ฿73.7

-22.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$2.16 ฿72.1

-1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 €1.10

$1.52 ฿50.9

-17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.34 ฿44.67

-14.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.13 ฿37.67

5.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.55

$0.55 ฿18.24

14.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.52 €5.68

$4.26 ฿142

53.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.31 €4.62

$19.09 ฿637

-72.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.78 ฿59.4

-32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.02

$2.78 ฿92.9

-16.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 €1.13

$2.23 ฿74.4

-41.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.78 €10.27

$22.74 ฿759

-48.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 €1.68

$3.03 ฿101

-36.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.02 ฿34.15

10.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.90 €19.09

$3.89 ฿130

462.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.49 ฿49.77

15.44%

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

$36.0K €31.4K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

35.31%

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

$30.1K €26.2K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

11.30%

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

$158 €137

$102 ฿3,420

53.86%

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

$10.47 €9.13

$11.33 ฿378

-7.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.62 €23.20

$17.40 ฿581

52.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.71 €35.49

$52.1 ฿1,738

-21.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$8.77 €7.65

$7.69 ฿257

14.04%

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

$844 €735

$561 ฿18.7K

50.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,834 €2,470

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-75.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 €79.3

$63.0 ฿2,104

44.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 €34.56

$29.52 ฿986

34.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 €76.5

$98.0 ฿3,272

-10.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 €96.5

$88.5 ฿2,954

25.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$456 €397

$738 ฿24.6K

-38.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 €306

$482 ฿16.1K

-27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 €598

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-67.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 €513

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-52.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$928 €809

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-64.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,485 €1,295

$494 ฿16.5K

200.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

5.57

-40.57%

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

Last update for Ciudad Real: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $456 in Ciudad Real and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Real pays 201% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Ciudad Real vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $274, with Ciudad Real 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

Ciudad Real vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Real and Phuket differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,177 vs $1,232 including rent). Ciudad Real is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 201% higher in Ciudad Real, 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: $456 in Ciudad Real versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ciudad Real – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,177 in Ciudad Real versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Real but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Real the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ciudad Real 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 Ciudad Real gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.