Cost of Living Comparison Between Estepona and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Estepona and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,884 in Estepona versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,880 in Estepona versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,876 in Estepona versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Estepona is roughly 50% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Estepona is 37% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.28 €17.44

$4.56 ฿150

344.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 €68.9

$32.62 ฿1,073

145.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €8.98

$8.90 ฿293

17.42%

Cappuccino

$2.75 €2.37

$2.80 ฿92.2

-1.79%

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

$2.55 €2.19

$0.88 ฿28.94

189.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.89

$0.49 ฿16.08

346.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 €3.91

$2.39 ฿78.5

89.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.57 €3.92

$3.71 ฿122

23.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.79 ฿58.8

-28.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.44 ฿47.40

15.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$1.58 ฿52.1

2.53%

Eggs

$3.50 €3.01

$2.13 ฿69.9

64.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 €11.87

$19.92 ฿655

-30.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 €7.62

$3.43 ฿113

158.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.55 €14.23

$11.33 ฿372

46.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 €3.28

$2.95 ฿97.0

29.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.72 ฿56.6

21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.32 ฿76.5

0.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 €2.70

$2.08 ฿68.4

50.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.47 ฿48.34

55.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.36 ฿44.65

74.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.48

$1.10 ฿36.13

57.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.01

$0.57 ฿18.89

105.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.91 €5.94

$4.27 ฿140

61.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.14 €5.28

$18.42 ฿606

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.87 ฿61.5

-15.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 €2.74

$2.92 ฿96.1

9.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 €2.55

$2.22 ฿73.0

33.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 €1.49

$3.03 ฿99.6

-42.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.07 ฿35.32

3.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 €11.76

$3.93 ฿129

248.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.49 ฿49.06

20.13%

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

$37.3K €32.1K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

37.48%

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

$30.0K €25.8K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

9.24%

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

$125 €107

$103 ฿3,380

21.45%

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

$16.34 €14.04

$10.99 ฿361

48.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.79 €27.33

$17.51 ฿576

81.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.58 €39.18

$53.5 ฿1,760

-14.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.21 €19.95

$11.20 ฿368

107.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.46 €9.86

$7.48 ฿246

53.21%

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

$563 €484

$557 ฿18.3K

1.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,220 €7,067

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-30.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 €50.6

$64.1 ฿2,107

-8.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.23 €38.02

$29.07 ฿956

52.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.3

$96.0 ฿3,155

4.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €86.8

$90.3 ฿2,970

11.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 €1,103

$730 ฿24.0K

75.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$913 €785

$500 ฿16.4K

82.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,322 €1,996

$2,090 ฿68.7K

11.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,514 €1,302

$1,209 ฿39.8K

25.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,885 €4,199

$3,596 ฿118.2K

35.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,729 €4,066

$2,512 ฿82.6K

88.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,486 €1,278

$503 ฿16.6K

195.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.57

-37.16%

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

Last update for Estepona: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,283 in Estepona and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Estepona 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: $80.0 in Estepona vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $273 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

Estepona vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 195% higher in Estepona, 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: $1,283 in Estepona versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $563 in Estepona versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $80.0 in Estepona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,884 in Estepona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Estepona. 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 Estepona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Estepona 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 50% less than in Estepona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.