Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and El Ejido Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and El Ejido

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,488 in El Ejido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $2,179 in El Ejido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $2,869 in El Ejido.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 15% less than in El Ejido, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, El Ejido is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$17.53 €14.95

-73.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$57.2 €48.79

-18.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$10.52 €8.97

-17.49%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$2.07 €1.77

42.51%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.19 €1.01

-41.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$1.49 €1.27

-73.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.85 €2.43

-11.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$3.38 €2.88

11.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.31 €1.12

69.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.77 €1.51

1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.56 €1.33

40.38%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.98 €2.55

-22.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$11.61 €9.90

66.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$9.49 €8.09

-60.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$14.81 €12.63

-10.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.50 €2.13

33.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.61 €1.37

2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.45 €1.23

57.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$2.30 €1.96

-13.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.64 €1.40

-6.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.67 €1.43

-9.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$1.11 €0.95

-7.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.67 €0.57

-23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$6.20 €5.29

-28.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$5.43 €4.63

257.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.14 €0.98

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$1.83 €1.56

46.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$1.64 €1.40

-12.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$34.33 €29.29

-65.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.72 €1.47

76.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$1.27 €1.09

-18.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$17.05 €14.54

-19.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.80 €1.54

-27.78%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$39.3K €33.5K

-29.00%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$30.2K €25.7K

9.50%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$80.2 €68.4

53.41%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$20.14 €17.18

-31.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$32.35 €27.59

-41.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$48.04 €40.98

27.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$15.32 €13.07

9.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$9.70 €8.27

-8.56%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$722 €616

-3.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$10.6K €9,005

52.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$23.56 €20.10

151.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$30.91 €26.37

12.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$29.32 €25.01

285.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$39.79 €33.94

113.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$854 €729

-27.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$683 €582

-34.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$1,323 €1,129

57.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$1,005 €857

48.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$3,752 €3,200

-0.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$2,677 €2,283

-0.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$1,504 €1,283

-64.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.58

48.88%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for El Ejido: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $854 in El Ejido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Ejido pays 182% 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: $46 in Phuket vs $57 in El Ejido. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $256, with El Ejido 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 El Ejido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, El Ejido earns 182% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $854 in El Ejido. 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 $46.00 versus $57.0 in El Ejido. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,270 per month in Phuket versus $1,488 in El Ejido – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,270 in Phuket versus $1,488 in El Ejido, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in El Ejido. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in El Ejido, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and El Ejido 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 17% less than in El Ejido. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.