Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Calella

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,596 in Calella, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Calella, Spain
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Calella
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,596
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Calella

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 Calella actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $1,596 in Calella, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Calella $1,596

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $2,366 in Calella, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Calella $2,366

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $3,137 in Calella, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Calella $3,137

Phuket is about 24% cheaper than Calella, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Calella is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Calella
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿148
$14.73 €13.13
-70.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,088
$56.4 €50.3
-42.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿296
$8.03 €7.15
9.09%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$2.49 €2.22
13.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.42
$2.33 €2.08
-61.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.71
$1.79 €1.59
-73.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿86.0
$3.46 €3.08
-26.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿129
$3.31 €2.95
15.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Calella
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿58.2
$1.11 €0.99
55.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.56
$2.09 €1.86
-29.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.88 €2.57
-47.57%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$3.03 €2.70
-28.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿664
$14.61 €13.03
34.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿113
$8.31 €7.41
-59.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿376
$15.33 €13.66
-27.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿96.0
$2.48 €2.21
14.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿57.5
$1.97 €1.76
-13.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.9
$1.58 €1.41
38.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿69.0
$2.42 €2.15
-15.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿49.02
$1.79 €1.60
-18.99%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.59
$1.86 €1.65
-25.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿36.02
$1.38 €1.23
-22.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿17.07
$0.62 €0.55
-17.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿144
$6.96 €6.21
-38.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿627
$5.56 €4.96
234.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿60.2
$1.07 €0.95
66.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿96.0
$2.43 €2.17
17.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Calella
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿76.3
$1.46 €1.30
54.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿745
$31.71 €28.26
-30.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿102
$3.77 €3.36
-20.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.67
$1.24 €1.11
-14.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿130
$14.51 €12.93
-73.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.90
$1.83 €1.63
-20.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.1K
$39.4K €35.1K
-33.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿908.8K
$31.0K €27.6K
-13.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Calella
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$117 €104
-17.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿372
$13.52 €12.05
-18.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿578
$25.05 €22.32
-31.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Calella
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,760
$46.23 €41.20
12.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿376
$17.63 €15.71
-36.70%
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿263
$8.35 €7.44
-6.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Calella
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.8K
$560 €499
-0.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿390.6K
$9,945 €8,864
16.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Calella
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,166
$62.6 €55.8
2.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿968
$21.12 €18.82
35.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,217
$114 €101
-16.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,968
$160 €143
-45.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Calella
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.9K
$904 €805
-18.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.6K
$684 €610
-32.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.7K
$1,356 €1,208
54.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.5K
$1,011 €901
18.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿117.6K
$3,081 €2,746
13.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿85.1K
$1,932 €1,722
30.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Calella
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.9K
$1,725 €1,537
-70.97%
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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Calella: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Calella
$684 48% $222
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Calella
$273 1.6% $4.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Calella
$155 24.8% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Calella
$161 29.4% $37
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Calella
$212 75.1% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Calella
$63 7.2% $4.9
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Calella
$48 20.6% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $904 in Calella. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Calella are about 3.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $56 in Calella. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $273 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇪🇸 Calella
🕒 Local time
16:36 4:36 PM
10:36 10:36 AM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
19,862
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.84 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Calella 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Calella

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 Calella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Calella?
Yes – Calella is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $2,394 in Calella. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $737 there versus $904 in Calella.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Calella?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $56 in Calella. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 30% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Calella?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Calella at $1,596. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Calella it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Calella?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,208 in Phuket to $1,596 in Calella. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Calella makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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