Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Carrara Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Carrara

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $1,663 in Carrara, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $2,578 in Carrara, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $3,493 in Carrara, rent included.

Phuket is about 24% cheaper than Carrara, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Phuket sits 5% below the global median, while Carrara is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$20.50 €17.88

-78.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$81.3 €70.9

-43.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$10.53 €9.18

-16.81%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.76 €1.53

68.75%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$2.68 €2.33

-74.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$1.13 €0.99

-65.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$5.67 €4.94

-55.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$5.83 €5.08

-35.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.55 €1.35

38.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$2.22 €1.94

-18.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$2.76 €2.41

-21.01%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$3.74 €3.26

-39.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$13.14 €11.46

52.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$13.42 €11.70

-72.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$17.73 €15.46

-23.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.44 €2.13

32.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$2.24 €1.95

-26.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$2.01 €1.75

15.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$3.01 €2.62

-31.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.57 €1.37

-1.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.38 €1.20

5.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$1.47 €1.28

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.32 €0.28

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$7.00 €6.10

-37.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$8.03 €7.00

131.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.67 €1.46

11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.85 €1.61

43.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.93 €1.68

-26.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$39.23 €34.20

-70.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$5.62 €4.90

-43.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.40 €1.22

-26.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$29.44 €25.67

-52.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$2.03 €1.77

-33.99%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$26.1K €22.8K

6.37%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$34.6K €30.1K

-3.44%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$177 €154

-30.52%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$14.04 €12.24

-1.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$29.85 €26.02

-38.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$45.16 €39.37

34.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$19.70 €17.18

-12.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$9.35 €8.15

-5.13%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$661 €576

4.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$4,691 €4,089

236.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$23.45 €20.44

152.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$44.98 €39.21

-22.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$91.5 €79.8

25.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$141 €123

-40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$541 €472

14.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$580 €505

-23.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$795 €693

155.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$941 €820

59.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$2,900 €2,528

19.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$2,062 €1,798

22.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,674 €1,459

-70.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.83

10.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Carrara: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $541 in Carrara. 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 239% higher in Carrara, 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $81.0 in Carrara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $318 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Carrara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carrara costs about 32% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,896 per month in Phuket and $2,494 in Carrara. 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.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Carrara, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $81.0 in Carrara. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,264, than in Carrara at $1,663. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carrara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,264 versus $1,663 in Carrara. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Carrara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.