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 $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $451 in El Gouna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $710 in El Gouna, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $970 in El Gouna, rent included.

Phuket costs about 181% 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 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.62 E£188

29.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$15.98 E£829

183.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.65 E£241

81.29%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.49 E£77.3

96.64%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.31 E£16.29

122.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.10 E£4.97

270.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.22 E£63.2

97.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.87 E£149

29.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.86 E£44.84

159.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.62 E£32.10

195.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.67 E£34.67

223.88%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.38 E£71.7

60.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.44 E£179

473.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.26 E£221

-14.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.77 E£455

54.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.48 E£77.0

121.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.53 E£27.66

203.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.42 E£21.97

473.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.39 E£20.40

433.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.38 E£19.56

302.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.43 E£22.34

244.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.22 E£11.39

350.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.18 E£9.40

183.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.98 E£103

122.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$6.45 E£335

200.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.25 E£64.7

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.85 E£96.0

46.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.19 E£9.67

621.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.38 E£19.82

694.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.31 E£16.35

219.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.03 E£105

594.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.33 E£17.19

312.12%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$35.6K E£1.8M

-20.70%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.2K E£1.7M

-0.93%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$12.03 E£624

911.64%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.07 E£367

91.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$11.40 E£592

60.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$21.03 E£1,092

186.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.97 E£154

192.59%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$88.7 E£4,602

681.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$1,821 E£94.5K

761.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$27.94 E£1,450

113.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$44.19 E£2,294

-21.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$109 E£5,678

4.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$51.2 E£2,659

62.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$188 E£9,760

226.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$98.7 E£5,124

342.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$278 E£14.4K

653.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$156 E£8,074

870.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$766 E£39.8K

389.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$492 E£25.5K

431.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $188 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $16.00 in El Gouna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $123 – 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 181%, 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 $1,898 per month in Phuket and $676 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 $45.00 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 138% 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 $451, than in Phuket at $1,265. 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.