Cost of Living Comparison Between El Ejido and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between El Ejido and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in El Ejido versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,203 in El Ejido versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,921 in El Ejido versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in El Ejido is roughly 18% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Ejido is 11% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 €15.24

$4.53 ฿153

282.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 €50.6

$46.36 ฿1,567

24.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.24

$8.65 ฿292

21.50%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.83

$3.09 ฿104

-32.36%

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

$1.14 €1.00

$0.68 ฿22.93

67.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 €1.30

$0.37 ฿12.46

297.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 €2.47

$2.42 ฿81.7

16.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.12

$3.81 ฿129

-6.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.18 ฿73.6

-38.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.54

$1.82 ฿61.4

-3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.37

$2.18 ฿73.6

-28.90%

Eggs

$2.86 €2.52

$2.24 ฿75.6

27.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 €10.27

$19.93 ฿674

-41.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 €8.19

$3.64 ฿123

156.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.33 €12.60

$13.56 ฿459

5.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.17

$3.29 ฿111

-25.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.46

$1.69 ฿57.0

-1.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 €1.25

$2.33 ฿78.9

-39.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 €2.00

$2.03 ฿68.5

11.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 €1.46

$1.60 ฿54.1

3.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 €1.43

$1.49 ฿50.5

9.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.01 ฿34.23

7.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.57

$0.48 ฿16.12

35.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.06 €5.33

$4.45 ฿150

36.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.65 €4.09

$18.63 ฿630

-75.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.01

$1.79 ฿60.4

-35.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.66

$2.80 ฿94.5

-32.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.67 €1.46

$1.42 ฿47.99

17.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.98 €29.86

$11.33 ฿383

199.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 €1.46

$3.09 ฿105

-46.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.11

$1.04 ฿35.25

21.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.38 €15.27

$13.63 ฿461

27.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.54

$1.31 ฿44.31

33.59%

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

$38.3K €33.6K

$27.3K ฿922.3K

40.34%

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

$30.4K €26.7K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-8.49%

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

$79.6 €70.0

$123 ฿4,164

-35.34%

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

$20.54 €18.05

$13.81 ฿467

48.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.10 €28.21

$18.52 ฿626

73.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.56 €42.67

$60.4 ฿2,041

-19.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 €13.16

$16.80 ฿568

-10.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.74 €8.56

$8.89 ฿301

9.56%

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

$726 €638

$687 ฿23.2K

5.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,250

$15.6K ฿525.7K

-32.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.76 €20.00

$57.6 ฿1,949

-60.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.73 €27.00

$34.66 ฿1,172

-11.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$28.84 €25.34

$115 ฿3,885

-74.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.23 €35.35

$84.9 ฿2,871

-52.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 €763

$618 ฿20.9K

40.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$681 €598

$443 ฿15.0K

53.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,144

$2,047 ฿69.2K

-36.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 €866

$1,506 ฿50.9K

-34.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,481 €3,058

$3,568 ฿120.6K

-2.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,978 €1,738

$2,511 ฿84.9K

-21.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,485 €1,305

$503 ฿17.0K

195.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

5.33

-32.83%

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

Last update for El Ejido: July 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $868 in El Ejido and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Ejido pays 195% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in El Ejido vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $292, with El Ejido 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

El Ejido vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 195% higher in El Ejido, 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: $868 in El Ejido versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $58.0 in El Ejido. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in El Ejido versus $1,261 in Phuket – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,484 in El Ejido, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in El Ejido. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in El Ejido, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, El Ejido 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in El Ejido. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.