Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Alges

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $2,004 in Alges, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Alges, Portugal
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Alges
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,004
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Alges

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Alges actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $2,004 in Alges, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Alges $2,004

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,863 in Alges, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Alges $2,863

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,722 in Alges, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Alges $3,722

Phuket is about 36% cheaper than Alges, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Alges is 47% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Alges
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$15.79 €14.14
-71.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$55.3 €49.51
-41.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$9.74 €8.72
-9.55%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.60 €2.33
8.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$2.34 €2.10
-62.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$2.22 €1.99
-77.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$3.31 €2.96
-22.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.45 €4.88
-32.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Alges
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.04 €0.93
59.62%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$1.94 €1.74
-24.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$2.15 €1.93
-30.23%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$3.50 €3.13
-40.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$11.06 €9.90
72.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$7.08 €6.34
-53.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$15.13 €13.55
-27.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$2.87 €2.57
2.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.38 €1.23
22.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.84 €1.65
22.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$2.24 €2.00
-7.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.59 €1.43
-5.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$2.11 €1.89
-34.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$1.55 €1.38
-30.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.85 €0.76
-38.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$5.69 €5.10
-26.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$5.00 €4.48
275.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.19 €1.07
52.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$3.09 €2.77
-8.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Alges
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$2.25 €2.02
-35.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$44.18 €39.57
28.25%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$4.59 €4.11
-34.20%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$0.91 €0.82
12.09%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$17.55 €15.72
-78.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$2.09 €1.87
-29.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$33.6K €30.1K
-20.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$38.6K €34.5K
-30.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Alges
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$133 €119
-27.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$24.97 €22.36
-54.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$55.0 €49.21
-69.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Alges
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$43.60 €39.04
54.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$17.23 €15.43
-37.72%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$7.42 €6.64
1.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Alges
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$591 €529
-19.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$18.8K €16.8K
-40.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Alges
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$77.1 €69.1
-19.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$33.93 €30.39
-16.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$88.4 €79.1
6.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$95.5 €85.5
-10.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Alges
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$1,211 €1,085
-40.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$1,051 €941
-53.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$2,052 €1,837
-6.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,576 €1,411
-9.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$3,135 €2,808
33.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$2,271 €2,034
34.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Alges
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$1,221 €1,094
-58.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.67
51.77%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Alges: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Alges
$1.1K 114% $560
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Alges
$255 4.2% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Alges
$212 70.7% $88
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Alges
$133 8.9% $11
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Alges
$232 91% $111
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Alges
$58 28.9% $24
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Alges
$62 11.7% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $1,211 in Alges. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Alges are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $55 in Alges. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $255 in Alges – so Alges wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇹 Alges
🕒 Local time
20:31 8:31 PM
13:31 1:31 PM
7 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
19,327
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Alges 10,960 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Alges

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
Phuket vs Alges: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Alges compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $2,004 in Alges – Phuket comes out roughly 36% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Alges?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $3,006 in Alges. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Alges?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $1,211 in Alges.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Alges?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $591 in Alges. 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 4% cheaper in Alges – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
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 Alges at $2,004. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alges it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Alges?
It depends on your priorities. Alges has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $2,004 in Alges. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Phuket or Alges safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Phuket and Alges?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alges makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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