Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Madrid and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Madrid versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,329 in Madrid versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Madrid versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Madrid is roughly 78% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Madrid is 68% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.05 €14.79

$4.70 ฿154

262.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 €59.5

$45.37 ฿1,488

51.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 €10.18

$8.43 ฿276

39.15%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.65

$2.93 ฿96.0

4.44%

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

$3.21 €2.79

$0.69 ฿22.48

365.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.89

$0.37 ฿12.04

489.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 €3.42

$2.41 ฿79.0

63.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.05

$3.72 ฿122

25.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$2.23 ฿73.2

-46.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 €1.46

$1.83 ฿60.1

-8.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.47

$2.17 ฿71.1

-22.12%

Eggs

$3.34 €2.90

$2.21 ฿72.6

51.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.91 €12.94

$19.74 ฿647

-24.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 €7.74

$3.63 ฿119

146.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 €14.61

$13.53 ฿444

24.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.36

$3.28 ฿107

-16.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.61 ฿52.8

31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.21

$2.41 ฿79.0

5.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.30

$2.08 ฿68.3

27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.86

$1.53 ฿50.1

40.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.48 ฿48.56

41.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.18

$0.99 ฿32.42

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.85

$0.51 ฿16.73

90.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.92

$4.41 ฿144

54.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 €7.07

$19.38 ฿636

-57.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.21

$1.78 ฿58.3

-21.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.90

$2.71 ฿88.9

-19.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.37 ฿44.96

29.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.07 €42.57

$11.39 ฿374

330.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 €3.47

$3.02 ฿99.0

32.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.99 ฿32.61

34.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.19 €25.32

$14.10 ฿462

107.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.68

$1.36 ฿44.68

41.91%

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

$37.2K €32.3K

$28.2K ฿924.7K

31.87%

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

$34.4K €29.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

4.42%

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

$195 €169

$122 ฿3,991

59.92%

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

$21.66 €18.79

$13.57 ฿445

59.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.51 €30.80

$18.31 ฿600

93.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 €46.65

$60.2 ฿1,975

-10.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.95 €15.58

$17.14 ฿562

4.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €10.02

$8.69 ฿285

32.91%

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

$676 €587

$693 ฿22.7K

-2.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K €10.5K

$15.7K ฿514.4K

-22.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.8

$59.5 ฿1,952

58.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.77 €37.10

$34.77 ฿1,140

23.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.7

$115 ฿3,758

-7.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €117

$83.3 ฿2,731

61.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,358

$613 ฿20.1K

155.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 €997

$437 ฿14.3K

162.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,826 €2,451

$2,094 ฿68.7K

34.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 €1,635

$1,509 ฿49.5K

24.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,077 €7,874

$3,749 ฿122.9K

142.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,511 €3,913

$2,616 ฿85.8K

72.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,626 €2,278

$508 ฿16.7K

416.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

5.33

-35.65%

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

Last update for Madrid: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,566 in Madrid and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madrid pays 417% 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: $69.0 in Madrid vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $293 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

Madrid vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Madrid. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Madrid pays 417% more on average, 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: $1,566 in Madrid versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Madrid. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $69.0 in Madrid. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,253 in Madrid, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Madrid. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Madrid 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 78% less than in Madrid. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.