Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Ejido and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,634 in El Ejido, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

El Ejido
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,634
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in El Ejido 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 El Ejido and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,634 in El Ejido versus $1,208 in Phuket.

  • El Ejido $1,634
  • Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,449 in El Ejido versus $2,027 in Phuket.

  • El Ejido $2,449
  • Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,264 in El Ejido versus $2,845 in Phuket.

  • El Ejido $3,264
  • Phuket $2,845

Living in El Ejido is roughly 35% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Ejido is 21% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
El Ejido
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.73 €14.88
$4.40 ฿147
280.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.6 €60.2
$32.26 ฿1,078
109.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.10 €9.87
$8.76 ฿293
26.71%
Cappuccino
$2.17 €1.93
$2.83 ฿94.5
-23.32%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 €2.06
$0.90 ฿30.14
156.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 €1.19
$0.47 ฿15.56
185.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.29 €2.92
$2.55 ฿85.2
29.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 €2.91
$3.83 ฿128
-14.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
El Ejido
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 €1.01
$1.73 ฿57.7
-34.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.57 €1.39
$1.47 ฿49.11
6.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 €1.45
$1.51 ฿50.6
7.95%
Eggs
$3.40 €3.02
$2.17 ฿72.7
56.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.79 €14.93
$19.70 ฿658
-14.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.56 €8.51
$3.34 ฿112
186.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.46 €15.53
$11.16 ฿373
56.45%
Apples (1kg)
$2.58 €2.30
$2.85 ฿95.1
-9.47%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 €1.73
$1.70 ฿56.9
14.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$2.19 ฿73.3
-10.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$2.05 ฿68.4
31.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 €1.71
$1.45 ฿48.57
33.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$1.38 ฿46.16
39.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 €1.11
$1.07 ฿35.69
15.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 €0.63
$0.51 ฿16.91
39.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.92
$4.26 ฿142
56.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.77 €5.13
$18.58 ฿621
-68.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.78 ฿59.7
-32.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 €1.88
$2.85 ฿95.2
-25.61%
🚌 Getting Around
El Ejido
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.71 €1.52
$2.26 ฿75.6
-24.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.17 €32.17
$22.10 ฿738
63.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 €2.73
$3.01 ฿101
1.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.06 ฿35.34
23.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.86 €15.00
$3.86 ฿129
336.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.45 ฿48.45
28.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.3K €27.9K
$26.3K ฿879.9K
18.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.3K €27.8K
$26.9K ฿900.4K
16.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Ejido
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$142 €126
$96.4 ฿3,221
47.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.78 €16.71
$11.04 ฿369
70.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.88 €26.58
$17.14 ฿573
74.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
El Ejido
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.99 €37.35
$52.2 ฿1,744
-19.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.57 €14.74
$11.16 ฿373
48.48%
Cinema Ticket
$9.00 €8.01
$7.81 ฿261
15.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
El Ejido
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$689 €613
$556 ฿18.6K
23.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,454 €8,410
$11.6K ฿387.0K
-18.36%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
El Ejido
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.4 €76.0
$64.2 ฿2,146
33.01%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.45 €31.53
$28.69 ฿959
23.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.2 €82.9
$95.4 ฿3,187
-2.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €94.0
$88.0 ฿2,940
20.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
El Ejido
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$902 €802
$737 ฿24.6K
22.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$668 €594
$462 ฿15.5K
44.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,326 €1,179
$2,095 ฿70.0K
-36.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$994 €884
$1,201 ฿40.1K
-17.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,015 €2,682
$3,488 ฿116.6K
-13.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,239 €1,992
$2,523 ฿84.3K
-11.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
El Ejido
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$501 ฿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: October 18, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
El Ejido
$668
Phuket
$462 30.8% $206
Groceries & Markets
El Ejido
$288
Phuket
$269 6.9% $20
Eating Out
El Ejido
$231
Phuket
$121 47.4% $109
Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Ejido
$191
Phuket
$125 34.7% $66
Clothing & Footwear
El Ejido
$144
Phuket
$124 13.6% $20
Sport & Entertainment
El Ejido
$60
Phuket
$68 13% $7.8
Getting Around
El Ejido
$53
Phuket
$39 25.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $902 in El Ejido and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in El Ejido vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇸 El Ejido
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
14:14 2:14 PM
19:14 7:14 PM
5 h ahead of El Ejido
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
89,975
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • El Ejido Phuket 10,470 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • El Ejido
  • 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
El Ejido vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than El Ejido?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,451 in El Ejido and $1,813 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.
What is the rent difference between El Ejido and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $902 in El Ejido versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in El Ejido or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $68.0 in El Ejido. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in El Ejido and in Phuket?
All in, you'll spend $1,634 per month in El Ejido versus $1,208 in Phuket – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in El Ejido or in Phuket?
At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,634 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.
Is El Ejido or Phuket more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, El Ejido or Phuket?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in El Ejido. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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