Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guarda Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guarda

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $1,582 in Guarda, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $2,361 in Guarda, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $3,139 in Guarda, rent included.

Phuket is about 20% cheaper than Guarda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Guarda is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$10.56 €9.10

-56.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$56.8 €48.90

-17.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$9.17 €7.90

-7.63%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.91 €1.65

58.64%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.92 €1.66

-64.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.12 €0.96

-66.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$3.09 €2.66

-19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.41 €2.94

7.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.06 €0.92

105.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.54 €1.33

23.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.58 €1.36

39.24%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.24 €2.79

-31.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$9.68 €8.34

106.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$8.31 €7.16

-55.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$13.51 €11.64

-1.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.01 €1.74

60.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.41 €1.21

20.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.88 €1.62

27.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.95 €2.55

-29.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.74 €1.50

-8.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.94 €1.67

-23.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.21 €1.05

-14.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.99 €0.85

-47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$6.63 €5.71

-35.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$4.52 €3.90

315.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.30 €1.12

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.30 €1.98

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$2.34 €2.01

-41.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$42.61 €36.72

-73.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$4.31 €3.71

-27.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.59 €1.37

-34.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$17.21 €14.83

-19.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.94 €1.67

-30.93%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$37.0K €31.9K

-25.22%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$39.8K €34.3K

-14.97%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$140 €121

-11.82%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$17.58 €15.14

-23.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$45.02 €38.79

-58.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$43.12 €37.15

43.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.03 €6.05

30.01%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$351 €302

100.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$10.5K €9,023

51.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$35.29 €30.41

68.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$38.28 €32.98

-8.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$87.6 €75.5

31.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$98.6 €84.9

-14.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$935 €805

-33.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$728 €627

-40.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,480 €1,275

39.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,138 €981

32.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,367 €1,178

166.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.15

3.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Guarda: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $935 in Guarda. 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $57.0 in Guarda. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Phuket vs $243 in Guarda – so Guarda wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Guarda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guarda costs about 25% more than Phuket, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $2,374 in Guarda. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket and $57.0 in Guarda. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Phuket and $1,582 in Guarda. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,261, than in Guarda at $1,582. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guarda it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,261 versus $1,582 in Guarda. 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, Guarda makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.