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: $1,143 in Ciudad Real versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,704 in Ciudad Real versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,265 in Ciudad Real versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Ciudad Real costs roughly 7% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ciudad Real 15% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.26 €8.76

$4.63 ฿151

121.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.09 €29.96

$46.84 ฿1,523

-25.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 €8.08

$8.84 ฿287

7.01%

Cappuccino

$2.34 €2.00

$3.00 ฿97.4

-22.00%

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

$1.98 €1.69

$0.74 ฿24.11

167.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.47

$0.37 ฿11.88

364.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 €2.95

$2.44 ฿79.3

41.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 €3.62

$3.61 ฿117

17.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.00

$2.26 ฿73.5

-48.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 €0.60

$1.84 ฿59.8

-61.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.24 ฿73.0

-34.38%

Eggs

$2.68 €2.29

$2.32 ฿75.3

15.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 €7.92

$19.67 ฿639

-52.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.73 €4.89

$3.65 ฿119

56.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.53 €8.99

$13.10 ฿426

-19.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 €2.00

$3.39 ฿110

-30.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.61

$1.64 ฿53.4

15.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 €1.41

$2.41 ฿78.5

-31.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.84

$2.03 ฿66.0

5.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.56 ฿50.6

-16.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.50 ฿48.66

-21.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.01

$1.02 ฿33.30

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 €0.54

$0.49 ฿15.91

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 €5.52

$4.45 ฿145

45.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.31 €4.53

$18.88 ฿614

-71.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.00

$1.78 ฿57.7

-34.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.08

$2.75 ฿89.5

-11.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.40 ฿45.54

-8.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 €10.04

$11.48 ฿373

2.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 €3.30

$3.12 ฿101

23.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 €0.88

$1.00 ฿32.48

3.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.35 €18.23

$14.09 ฿458

51.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.35 ฿43.93

31.85%

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

$38.8K €33.1K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

42.74%

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

$30.3K €25.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-7.88%

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

$134 €115

$125 ฿4,063

7.50%

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

$17.85 €15.24

$13.57 ฿441

31.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.87 €25.51

$18.52 ฿602

61.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.64 €34.71

$61.5 ฿1,999

-33.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.99 €12.80

$16.84 ฿547

-10.99%

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 €7.57

$9.19 ฿299

-3.59%

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

$448 €383

$698 ฿22.7K

-35.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,904 €2,480

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-81.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.2 €65.1

$57.8 ฿1,878

31.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.07 €34.22

$35.24 ฿1,146

13.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 €65.3

$113 ฿3,677

-32.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €90.0

$86.4 ฿2,808

21.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$459 €392

$616 ฿20.0K

-25.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 €301

$446 ฿14.5K

-21.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 €601

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-65.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 €491

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-61.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,500 €2,989

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-7.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,326 €1,986

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-12.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,488 €1,271

$524 ฿17.0K

184.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

5.33

-35.08%

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

Last update for Ciudad Real: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $459 in Ciudad Real and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Real pays 184% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ciudad Real vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $292 per month, with Ciudad Real 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

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

Ciudad Real and Phuket differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,143 vs $1,232 including rent). Ciudad Real is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ciudad Real pays 184% 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: $459 in Ciudad Real versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% 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 $35.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,143 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 8% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.