Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Benidorm Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Benidorm

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,828 in Benidorm, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $2,724 in Benidorm, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $3,620 in Benidorm, rent included.

Phuket is about 31% cheaper than Benidorm, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Phuket sits 8% below the global median, while Benidorm is 33% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$17.92 €15.44

-74.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$52.6 €45.33

-38.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$13.04 €11.24

-33.44%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.30 €1.99

26.09%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$2.34 €2.01

-64.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.23 €1.06

-60.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.50 €3.02

-29.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.79 €3.27

-1.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.15 €1.00

64.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.38 €1.19

2.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.47 €1.27

10.20%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.43 €2.96

-34.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$11.36 €9.79

74.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$7.78 €6.71

-55.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$16.66 €14.36

-31.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.14 €1.84

35.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.92 €1.65

-10.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.83 €1.58

24.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.60 €2.24

-18.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.68 €1.45

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.93 €1.66

-26.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.09 €0.94

0.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.44 €0.38

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$6.15 €5.30

-29.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.19 €4.47

258.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.31 €1.13

37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.52 €1.31

95.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.87 €1.61

20.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$40.01 €34.49

-41.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$4.62 €3.98

-32.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.40 €1.20

-22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$24.74 €21.32

-84.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.70 €1.47

-15.88%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$37.0K €31.9K

-24.82%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$29.7K €25.6K

-9.02%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$160 €138

-34.35%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$15.60 €13.45

-26.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$33.34 €28.74

-47.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$52.8 €45.50

2.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$39.97 €34.46

-71.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$11.17 €9.63

-30.35%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$403 €348

42.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$9,238 €7,963

25.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$95.3 €82.1

-33.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$28.78 €24.81

1.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$70.0 €60.4

37.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$105 €90.7

-14.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$1,056 €910

-30.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$849 €732

-40.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,830 €1,578

16.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$1,355 €1,168

-7.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$5,350 €4,612

-33.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$2,785 €2,400

-5.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,822 €1,571

-72.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.3

68.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Benidorm: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $733 in Phuket versus $1,056 in Benidorm. 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 259% higher in Benidorm, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $53.0 in Benidorm. Groceries tell a different story – $275 in Phuket vs $249 in Benidorm – so Benidorm wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Benidorm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Benidorm is pricier by about 44%, 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $2,741 in Benidorm. 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 $576 per month in Phuket and $403 in Benidorm. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Benidorm – 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 $1,265, than in Benidorm at $1,828. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Benidorm 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, Benidorm makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.