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: $1,683 in El Ejido versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,507 in El Ejido versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,332 in El Ejido versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in El Ejido is roughly 33% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Ejido is 22% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 €15.16

$4.66 ฿153

278.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 €59.6

$32.22 ฿1,059

115.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 €10.02

$8.68 ฿285

34.33%

Cappuccino

$2.24 €1.92

$2.90 ฿95.3

-22.76%

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

$2.14 €1.84

$0.84 ฿27.75

154.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 €1.26

$0.49 ฿16.08

197.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.48 ฿81.6

44.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.02

$3.73 ฿123

-5.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.89 ฿62.0

-36.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.41 ฿46.31

21.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.62 ฿53.3

4.94%

Eggs

$3.38 €2.90

$2.24 ฿73.7

50.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.22 €15.66

$19.84 ฿652

-8.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.81 €8.43

$3.48 ฿114

181.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 €14.09

$11.37 ฿374

44.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$2.90 ฿95.3

-8.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.72 ฿56.7

21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.68

$2.27 ฿74.7

-13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.13 ฿70.1

33.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.47 ฿48.49

34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.42 ฿46.69

46.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 €1.09

$1.10 ฿36.08

15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.59

$0.60 ฿19.66

15.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.74 €5.79

$4.31 ฿142

56.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.97 €5.13

$18.60 ฿612

-67.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.80 ฿59.2

-32.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.93

$2.97 ฿97.5

-24.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.25 ฿73.8

-26.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.56 €33.16

$23.49 ฿772

64.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

$3.10 ฿102

4.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.08 ฿35.39

31.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.77 €15.28

$3.87 ฿127

359.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.43 ฿46.93

20.98%

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

$36.5K €31.4K

$27.8K ฿913.6K

31.40%

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

$29.7K €25.5K

$27.0K ฿887.2K

10.09%

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

$148 €127

$105 ฿3,446

41.01%

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

$19.18 €16.49

$11.39 ฿375

68.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.83 €26.51

$17.54 ฿577

75.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.48 €41.68

$54.3 ฿1,787

-10.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.28 €13.14

$11.44 ฿376

33.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.53 €8.20

$7.78 ฿256

22.49%

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

$736 €633

$576 ฿19.0K

27.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,850 €8,469

$11.6K ฿380.8K

-14.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 €74.2

$63.6 ฿2,092

35.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.75 €31.60

$29.10 ฿957

26.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 €85.4

$96.2 ฿3,164

3.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.9

$90.0 ฿2,960

18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 €799

$733 ฿24.1K

26.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 €605

$501 ฿16.5K

40.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,389 €1,194

$2,126 ฿69.9K

-34.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 €909

$1,252 ฿41.2K

-15.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,868 €3,326

$3,534 ฿116.2K

9.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,271 €1,953

$2,622 ฿86.2K

-13.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.99

5.57

-46.32%

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

Last update for El Ejido: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $929 in El Ejido and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in El Ejido vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $275 per month, with Phuket 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,524 in El Ejido and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $929 in El Ejido versus $733 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 $32.00 versus $69.0 in El Ejido. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,683 per month in El Ejido versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,683 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 33% less than in El Ejido. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.