Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca, Spain and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,670 in Cuenca, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Cuenca

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,670

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuenca and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cuenca and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,670 per month in Cuenca vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

Cuenca $1,670
Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,437 per month in Cuenca vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

Cuenca $2,437
Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $3,205 per month in Cuenca vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

Cuenca $3,205
Phuket $3,154

Cuenca costs about 31% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cuenca sits 23% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 €15.36

$4.47 ฿151

283.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.51 €40.78

$32.41 ฿1,094

40.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 €8.05

$8.81 ฿297

1.93%

Cappuccino

$2.03 €1.82

$2.83 ฿95.4

-28.27%

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

$2.36 €2.12

$0.87 ฿29.42

171.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.34

$0.49 ฿16.66

204.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 €1.98

$2.56 ฿86.3

-13.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.96

$3.68 ฿124

-10.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 €0.88

$1.66 ฿56.0

-40.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.46 ฿49.32

36.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.39

$1.50 ฿50.5

3.33%

Eggs

$2.50 €2.24

$2.09 ฿70.5

19.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.27 €14.58

$19.07 ฿643

-14.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 €8.40

$3.30 ฿111

184.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.78 €18.62

$10.91 ฿368

90.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.93 ฿98.9

-7.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.17

$1.69 ฿57.0

43.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 €2.31

$2.25 ฿75.8

14.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 €2.69

$2.08 ฿70.1

44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.79

$1.51 ฿51.0

32.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.38 ฿46.54

58.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 €1.60

$1.07 ฿35.97

66.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.58

$0.52 ฿17.51

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.30 €5.64

$4.20 ฿142

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.41 €3.95

$18.79 ฿634

-76.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 €0.90

$1.82 ฿61.5

-45.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.97

$2.84 ฿95.9

-22.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.48

$1.45 ฿49.00

13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.98 €28.66

$56.7 ฿1,912

-43.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 €2.05

$3.02 ฿102

-24.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.02 ฿34.34

4.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.56 €26.49

$3.69 ฿125

701.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.62

$1.47 ฿49.78

23.13%

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

$35.6K €31.9K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

32.92%

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

$32.0K €28.7K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

20.05%

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

$164 €147

$96.4 ฿3,252

70.50%

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

$11.56 €10.36

$11.26 ฿380

2.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.65 €19.40

$16.85 ฿569

28.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.51 €35.40

$67.2 ฿2,269

-41.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 €14.30

$10.73 ฿362

48.65%

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 €7.93

$7.50 ฿253

18.00%

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

$338 €303

$476 ฿16.1K

-28.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,035 €7,200

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-28.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 €82.3

$62.4 ฿2,105

47.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.11 €35.05

$28.41 ฿959

37.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.4 €88.1

$94.3 ฿3,182

4.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €102

$85.8 ฿2,896

32.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 €788

$716 ฿24.2K

22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 €620

$491 ฿16.6K

40.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 €1,213

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-29.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 €914

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-28.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,298 €2,955

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-21.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,188 €1,960

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-28.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,405 €1,259

$502 ฿17.0K

179.78%

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 Cuenca: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$692 41.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 29.1% $201

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$301 18%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 11.5% $35

Eating Out

Cuenca

$222 13.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 45.1% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$198 11.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 37% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$155 9.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 21.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$57 3.4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 43.7% $25

Getting Around

Cuenca

$46 2.8%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 52.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $879 in Cuenca versus $716 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 in Cuenca are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in Cuenca versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $266 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Cuenca

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

14:31 2:31 PM

6 h ahead of Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,512

79,308

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cuenca Phuket 10,330 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuenca
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cuenca vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,670 in Cuenca, $1,278 in Phuket – Phuket comes out roughly 23% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,505 per month in Cuenca and $1,917 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $879 in Cuenca.

Kindergarten costs $338 per month in Cuenca and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Cuenca, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Cuenca at $1,670. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,670 in Cuenca. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cuenca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.