Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fuengirola and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,702 in Fuengirola, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Fuengirola, Spain
Phuket, Thailand
Fuengirola
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,702
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,702 per month in Fuengirola vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Fuengirola $1,702
  • Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $2,554 per month in Fuengirola vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Fuengirola $2,554
  • Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $3,407 per month in Fuengirola vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Fuengirola $3,407
  • Phuket $3,154

Fuengirola costs about 33% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fuengirola sits 25% above the global median, while Phuket is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fuengirola
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.83 €14.22
$4.47 ฿151
254.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.1 €61.2
$32.41 ฿1,094
110.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.01 €8.99
$8.81 ฿297
13.62%
Cappuccino
$2.68 €2.41
$2.83 ฿95.5
-5.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 €2.19
$0.87 ฿29.43
179.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.99 €1.79
$0.49 ฿16.67
306.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.38 €3.04
$2.56 ฿86.4
32.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 €3.91
$3.68 ฿124
18.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fuengirola
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 €1.10
$1.66 ฿56.0
-26.51%
White Bread (500g)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.46 ฿49.35
2.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.50 ฿50.6
-0.67%
Eggs
$2.89 €2.60
$2.09 ฿70.5
38.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.64 €14.06
$19.07 ฿644
-17.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 €7.06
$3.30 ฿111
138.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.97 €10.75
$10.91 ฿368
9.72%
Apples (1kg)
$2.32 €2.08
$2.93 ฿99.0
-20.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 €1.76
$1.69 ฿57.1
15.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.68 €1.51
$2.25 ฿75.8
-25.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.45 €2.20
$2.08 ฿70.1
17.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.60 €1.44
$1.51 ฿51.0
5.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.58 €1.42
$1.38 ฿46.56
14.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 €1.09
$1.07 ฿35.99
13.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.68 €0.61
$0.52 ฿17.52
30.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.67 €5.10
$4.20 ฿142
35.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.91 €6.21
$18.79 ฿634
-63.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 €0.93
$1.82 ฿61.5
-43.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 €1.39
$2.84 ฿95.9
-45.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Fuengirola
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.45 ฿49.03
51.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.24 €10.10
$56.7 ฿1,913
-80.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.85 €1.66
$3.02 ฿102
-38.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.23 €1.11
$1.02 ฿34.36
20.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.06 €19.82
$3.69 ฿125
497.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 €1.57
$1.47 ฿49.81
19.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.3K
$26.8K ฿904.3K
25.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3K €27.2K
$26.7K ฿901.3K
13.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fuengirola
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 €146
$96.4 ฿3,254
68.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.57 €9.50
$11.26 ฿380
-6.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.68 €22.18
$16.85 ฿569
46.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fuengirola
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.57 €40.94
$67.2 ฿2,270
-32.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.31 €29.93
$10.73 ฿362
210.44%
Cinema Ticket
$9.43 €8.47
$7.50 ฿253
25.73%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fuengirola
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$383 €344
$476 ฿16.1K
-19.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.0K €9,008
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-10.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fuengirola
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.2 €55.9
$62.4 ฿2,106
-0.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.46 €31.86
$28.41 ฿959
24.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.2 €64.0
$94.3 ฿3,184
-24.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.1 €72.9
$85.8 ฿2,898
-5.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fuengirola
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,062 €954
$716 ฿24.2K
48.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$815 €732
$491 ฿16.6K
66.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,760 €1,581
$1,927 ฿65.1K
-8.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,321 €1,187
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-7.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,565 €3,203
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-14.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,700 €2,426
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-11.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fuengirola
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,753 €1,575
$502 ฿17.0K
248.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.3
5.57
-40.75%

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

Last update for Fuengirola: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Fuengirola
$815
Phuket
$491 39.8% $324
Groceries & Markets
Fuengirola
$252
Phuket
$266 5.6% $14
Eating Out
Fuengirola
$232
Phuket
$122 47.6% $110
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fuengirola
$197
Phuket
$124 36.9% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Fuengirola
$112
Phuket
$122 8.4% $9.4
Sport & Entertainment
Fuengirola
$64
Phuket
$82 27.6% $18
Getting Around
Fuengirola
$28
Phuket
$71 152% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Fuengirola 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 Fuengirola are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Fuengirola versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Fuengirola vs $266 in Phuket – so Fuengirola wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Fuengirola
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
14:02 2:02 PM
20:02 8:02 PM
6 h ahead of Fuengirola
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
85,598
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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Fuengirola Phuket 10,630 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Fuengirola
  • 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
Fuengirola vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Fuengirola and in Phuket compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,702 in Fuengirola, $1,278 in Phuket – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Fuengirola compared to Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,552 per month in Fuengirola and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Fuengirola and Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,062 in Fuengirola.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Fuengirola and Phuket?
Kindergarten costs $383 per month in Fuengirola and $476 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Fuengirola – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Fuengirola at $1,702. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fuengirola it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Fuengirola and Phuket?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,702 in Fuengirola. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Fuengirola and Phuket?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fuengirola makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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