Cost of Living Comparison Between Pamplona and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pamplona and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,994 per month in Pamplona vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,803 per month in Pamplona vs $2,054 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,612 per month in Pamplona vs $2,876 in Phuket, rent included.

Pamplona costs about 62% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Pamplona sits 46% above the global median, while Phuket is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.71 €16.31

$4.41 ฿147

324.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 €60.2

$32.26 ฿1,077

114.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.63 €11.88

$8.93 ฿298

52.63%

Cappuccino

$2.95 €2.57

$2.90 ฿96.6

1.72%

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

$3.03 €2.64

$0.88 ฿29.38

244.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.90

$0.48 ฿16.06

354.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.95

$2.35 ฿78.5

43.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 €4.06

$3.72 ฿124

25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.87 ฿62.3

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 €2.06

$1.47 ฿48.94

61.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.47

$1.55 ฿51.8

9.03%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.10 ฿70.1

50.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.71 €14.57

$19.59 ฿654

-14.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 €7.05

$3.42 ฿114

136.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.86 €18.18

$11.38 ฿380

83.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.50

$2.98 ฿99.6

-3.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 €1.93

$1.68 ฿56.2

32.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.21 ฿73.7

6.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$2.16 ฿72.1

31.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.52 ฿50.9

15.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 €1.55

$1.34 ฿44.67

32.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.13 ฿37.67

-3.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.43

$0.55 ฿18.24

198.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 €5.97

$4.26 ฿142

60.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.84 €5.09

$19.09 ฿637

-69.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.78 ฿59.4

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.09

$2.78 ฿92.9

27.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 €1.65

$2.23 ฿74.4

-15.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.8 €46.04

$22.74 ฿759

132.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 €3.04

$3.03 ฿101

14.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.5 €44.85

$3.89 ฿130

1222.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.49 ฿49.77

18.12%

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

$37.2K €32.4K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

39.77%

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

$29.8K €25.9K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

10.07%

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

$182 €159

$102 ฿3,420

77.98%

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

$14.38 €12.53

$11.33 ฿378

26.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.29 €38.61

$17.40 ฿581

154.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.06 €39.28

$52.1 ฿1,738

-13.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 €14.12

$11.07 ฿370

46.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.24 €8.92

$7.69 ฿257

33.16%

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

$372 €324

$561 ฿18.7K

-33.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 €69.3

$63.0 ฿2,104

26.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 €30.80

$29.52 ฿986

19.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 €65.9

$98.0 ฿3,272

-22.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 €102

$88.5 ฿2,954

32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 €862

$738 ฿24.6K

33.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$910 €793

$482 ฿16.1K

88.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,491 €1,300

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-29.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 €993

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-7.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,823 €3,332

$3,617 ฿120.7K

5.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,064 €2,671

$2,603 ฿86.9K

17.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,196 €1,915

$494 ฿16.5K

344.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.83

5.57

-13.29%

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

Last update for Pamplona: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $989 in Pamplona versus $738 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 run about 345% higher in Pamplona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Pamplona versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $274 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Pamplona vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Pamplona is pricier by about 62%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,991 per month in Pamplona and $1,847 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Pamplona and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,994 in Pamplona and $1,232 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Pamplona at $1,994. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Pamplona 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, Pamplona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.