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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $462 in El Gouna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $730 in El Gouna, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $998 in El Gouna, rent included.

Phuket costs about 171% more than El Gouna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and El Gouna are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, El Gouna 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.65 E£186

24.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$15.91 E£812

190.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$4.52 E£231

95.58%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.49 E£75.9

105.37%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.29 E£14.71

151.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.12 E£5.91

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.27 E£64.8

91.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.05 E£156

23.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.91 E£46.61

148.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$0.57 E£29.15

217.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.66 E£33.70

240.91%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.43 E£73.2

57.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.41 E£174

472.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.21 E£215

-13.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.57 E£437

52.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.42 E£72.3

127.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.58 E£29.46

179.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.40 E£20.30

495.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.36 E£18.56

463.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.38 E£19.32

302.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.43 E£22.08

248.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.22 E£11.21

345.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.18 E£9.21

188.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.94 E£99.2

128.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$6.23 E£318

194.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.30 E£66.5

43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.88 E£96.2

42.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.20 E£10.01

605.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.38 E£19.58

718.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.31 E£16.01

235.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.04 E£104

591.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.31 E£15.77

322.58%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$35.6K E£1.8M

-21.77%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$33.4K E£1.7M

-0.59%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$11.78 E£602

939.39%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$6.78 E£346

100.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$11.35 E£580

64.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$20.92 E£1,068

189.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$2.92 E£149

210.62%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$87.6 E£4,471

706.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,877 E£95.8K

742.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$27.44 E£1,401

113.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$45.10 E£2,302

-21.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$109 E£5,582

5.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$51.4 E£2,625

62.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$192 E£9,795

226.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$101 E£5,146

341.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$270 E£13.8K

654.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$158 E£8,085

842.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$822 E£42.0K

323.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$498 E£25.4K

416.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

16.67

-68.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $192 in El Gouna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in El Gouna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $122 – making El Gouna 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 El Gouna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 171%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $693 in El Gouna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Gouna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $16.00 in El Gouna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 137% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in El Gouna, where all-in costs run around $462, than in Phuket at $1,250. In El Gouna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Gouna – 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 El Gouna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.