Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gran Canaria, Canary Islands and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,610 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
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Gran Canaria, Canary Islands Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,610

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,610 per month in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands vs $1,208 in Phuket, rent included.

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $1,610
Phuket $1,208

A couple spends around $2,368 per month in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands vs $2,027 in Phuket, rent included.

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $2,368
Phuket $2,027

A family of three spends $3,126 per month in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands vs $2,845 in Phuket, rent included.

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $3,126
Phuket $2,845

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

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands sits 19% above the global median, while Phuket is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.81 €13.18

$4.40 ฿147

236.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 €50.8

$32.26 ฿1,078

77.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 €9.17

$8.76 ฿293

17.69%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.93

$2.83 ฿94.5

-23.32%

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

$2.39 €2.12

$0.90 ฿30.14

165.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.51

$0.47 ฿15.56

261.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.03

$2.55 ฿85.2

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €3.04

$3.83 ฿128

-10.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.73 ฿57.7

-31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.47 ฿49.11

-7.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.51 ฿50.6

10.60%

Eggs

$2.89 €2.57

$2.17 ฿72.7

33.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.52 €12.03

$19.70 ฿658

-31.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 €7.31

$3.34 ฿112

146.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 €13.43

$11.16 ฿373

35.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.85 ฿95.1

-11.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.70 ฿56.9

15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.19 ฿73.3

-10.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.30

$2.05 ฿68.4

26.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$1.45 ฿48.57

19.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.38 ฿46.16

46.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.07 ฿35.69

24.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.62

$0.51 ฿16.91

37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 €5.75

$4.26 ฿142

51.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €5.10

$18.58 ฿621

-69.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.78 ฿59.7

-32.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.85 ฿95.2

-28.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.50

$2.26 ฿75.6

-25.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.64 €29.92

$22.10 ฿738

52.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 €3.64

$3.01 ฿101

35.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.06 ฿35.34

18.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 €22.26

$3.86 ฿129

548.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.45 ฿48.45

21.38%

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

$38.3K €34.1K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

45.43%

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

$30.3K €27.0K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

12.56%

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

$135 €120

$96.4 ฿3,221

39.60%

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

$20.74 €18.45

$11.04 ฿369

87.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.89 €27.48

$17.14 ฿573

80.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.30 €42.08

$52.2 ฿1,744

-9.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.03 €13.37

$11.16 ฿373

34.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 €8.03

$7.81 ฿261

15.49%

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

$413 €367

$556 ฿18.6K

-25.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,267 €7,353

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-28.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 €74.8

$64.2 ฿2,146

30.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.68 €30.84

$28.69 ฿959

20.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 €77.8

$95.4 ฿3,187

-8.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €95.5

$88.0 ฿2,940

22.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 €758

$737 ฿24.6K

15.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 €614

$462 ฿15.5K

49.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,161

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-37.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 €903

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-15.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,320 €2,953

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-4.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 €2,105

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-6.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

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 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands: 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

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$690 42.9%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 33% $228

Groceries & Markets

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$260 16.2%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 3.2% $8.4

Eating Out

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$216 13.4%

Phuket

$121 10% 43.8% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$186 11.6%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 33.1% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$141 8.8%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 11.9% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$65 4.1%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 3.7% $2.4

Getting Around

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$51 3.2%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 22.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $853 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands versus $737 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $260 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands vs $269 in Phuket – so Gran Canaria, Canary Islands wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

09:55 9:55 AM

6 h ahead of Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

862,893

79,308

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands Phuket 11,890 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
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

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gran Canaria, Canary Islands is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,414 per month in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands and $1,813 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $413 per month in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands and $556 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands at $1,610. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.