Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arrecife Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arrecife

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,565 in Arrecife.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,360 in Arrecife.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,155 in Arrecife.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 19% less than in Arrecife, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Arrecife is 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$12.37 €10.64

-62.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$52.8 €45.37

-13.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.52 €8.19

-11.45%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.27 €1.95

29.07%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.10 €1.81

-67.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.23 €1.06

-69.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.91 €2.50

-17.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.38 €2.91

10.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.19 €1.02

87.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.06 €1.78

-11.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.14 €0.98

90.35%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.23 €2.78

-31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.92 €10.25

65.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.05 €6.06

-48.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$15.48 €13.32

-12.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.39 €2.05

37.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.54 €2.19

-36.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.24 €1.92

7.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.60 €2.24

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.72 €1.48

-11.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.67 €2.30

-44.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.85 €1.59

-46.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.96 €0.83

-46.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.73 €4.06

-6.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.90 €5.93

180.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.57 €1.35

13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.55 €3.05

-23.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.95 €1.67

-29.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$23.01 €19.79

-50.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$3.57 €3.07

-15.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$2.14 €1.84

-53.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$23.39 €20.12

-39.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.64 €1.41

-17.07%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$38.9K €33.4K

-27.47%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.5K €26.3K

7.75%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$80.1 €68.9

51.94%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$20.47 €17.61

-33.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$30.10 €25.89

-39.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$70.0 €60.2

-13.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$22.80 €19.61

-24.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$8.11 €6.98

7.15%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$526 €453

31.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,479 €5,573

142.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$101 €86.9

-41.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$34.95 €30.06

-0.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$92.4 €79.5

23.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$148 €127

-43.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$866 €745

-29.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$689 €593

-36.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,463 €1,259

43.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,086 €934

39.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$3,485 €2,998

7.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,233 €1,920

17.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,721 €1,481

-70.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.43

55.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Arrecife: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $866 in Arrecife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arrecife pays 239% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Arrecife. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $275, with Arrecife cheaper for home cooking.

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 Arrecife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Arrecife differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $1,565 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Arrecife earns 239% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $866 in Arrecife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $53.0 in Arrecife. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $1,565 in Arrecife – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,565 in Arrecife, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Arrecife. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Arrecife 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 24% less than in Arrecife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.