Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and the Canary Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,650 in the Canary Islands, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in the Canary Islands
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Canary Islands Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Canary Islands

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in the Canary Islands

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 the Canary Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,650 in the Canary Islands.

Phuket $1,207
Canary Islands $1,650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,373 in the Canary Islands.

Phuket $2,037
Canary Islands $2,373

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $3,095 in the Canary Islands.

Phuket $2,867
Canary Islands $3,095

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in the Canary Islands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Canary Islands is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$20.32 €18.07

-77.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$61.1 €54.3

-46.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$9.42 €8.38

-9.24%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.05 €1.83

32.68%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.86 €1.65

-49.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.10 €0.98

-55.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.85 €2.53

-9.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.42 €3.04

11.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.36 €1.21

27.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$2.39 €2.13

-40.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.58 €1.40

-3.16%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.18 €1.94

-0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$19.31 €17.18

-0.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$9.93 €8.83

-66.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$17.23 €15.33

-35.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.73 €2.43

8.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.25 €2.00

-25.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$2.16 €1.92

6.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$2.51 €2.23

-15.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$2.14 €1.91

-28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$2.02 €1.80

-32.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.70 €1.51

-34.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.93 €0.83

-40.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.66 €4.14

-8.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$7.86 €6.99

131.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.70 €1.51

2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.75 €1.55

59.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.86 €0.76

158.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$4.24 €3.78

-31.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.69 €1.50

-40.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$16.59 €14.75

-76.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.70 €1.51

-12.35%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$24.9K €22.2K

7.06%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$29.0K €25.8K

-7.79%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$126 €112

-21.18%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$20.91 €18.60

-46.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$35.49 €31.57

-51.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$47.49 €42.25

10.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$24.07 €21.41

-54.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$9.85 €8.76

-23.15%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$400 €355

39.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$5,096 €4,533

125.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$68.3 €60.7

-7.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$38.65 €34.38

-26.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$89.6 €79.7

7.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$114 €101

-22.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,111 €988

-34.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$680 €605

-32.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$825 €734

48.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$1,369 €1,218

-63.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.33

67.27%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for the Canary Islands: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Canary Islands

$680 41.2% 47.9% $220

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Canary Islands

$316 19.2% 18.2% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Canary Islands

$182 11.1% 42.6% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Canary Islands

$140 8.5% 12.6% $16

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Canary Islands

$248 15.1% 105% $127

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Canary Islands

$67 4.1% 0.3% $0.2

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Canary Islands

$16 * 1% 58.5% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $1,111 in the Canary Islands. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Canary Islands pays 178% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $61.0 in the Canary Islands for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $316 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇸 Canary Islands

🕒 Local time

00:27 12:27 AM

18:27 6:27 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

12,050

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Canary Islands 11,990 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Canary Islands

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 Canary Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in the Canary Islands. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 178% lower in the Canary Islands. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $1,111 in the Canary Islands. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in the Canary Islands. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $1,650 in the Canary Islands – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,650 in the Canary Islands, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in the Canary Islands. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,207 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Canary Islands 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 37% less than in the Canary Islands. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.