Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guelma

For one person, living is cheaper in Guelma: $522 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Guelma, Algeria
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Guelma
🇩🇿 Algeria
$522
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Guelma

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Guelma actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $522 in Guelma.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Guelma $522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $850 in Guelma.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Guelma $850

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,179 in Guelma.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Guelma $1,179

Living in Phuket is roughly 148% more expensive than in Guelma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Guelma 61% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Guelma
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$3.14 DZD 425
39.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,086
$17.36 DZD 2,347
86.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿293
$3.80 DZD 514
128.95%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.6
$0.63 DZD 85.2
331.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.28
$0.59 DZD 80.0
57.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.79
$0.26 DZD 35.39
92.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.1
$1.51 DZD 204
67.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$2.14 DZD 289
69.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Guelma
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.5
$0.84 DZD 114
107.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.77
$0.15 DZD 20.21
866.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.15 DZD 155
30.43%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.0
$1.18 DZD 160
83.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿642
$7.74 DZD 1,046
146.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿114
$3.86 DZD 522
-11.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿366
$14.45 DZD 1,953
-24.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿98.9
$2.03 DZD 274
44.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$2.82 DZD 382
-40.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.8
$1.10 DZD 149
99.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.4
$0.96 DZD 130
120.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.03
$0.62 DZD 83.8
135.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿45.99
$0.49 DZD 65.9
179.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.17
$0.70 DZD 95.1
54.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.34
$0.27 DZD 36.69
103.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$2.70 DZD 366
64.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿614
$6.54 DZD 884
179.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.6
$1.24 DZD 168
42.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿96.8
$1.91 DZD 259
50.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Guelma
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.66
$0.24 DZD 32.54
504.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,845
$6.84 DZD 925
702.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$0.53 DZD 72.0
184.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.08
$0.43 DZD 58.4
81.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$5.29 DZD 715
-27.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.0
$0.35 DZD 47.43
325.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿903.7K
$31.6K DZD 4.3M
-15.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿885.7K
$34.4K DZD 4.7M
-23.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Guelma
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,288
$36.43 DZD 4,924
168.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿380
$9.42 DZD 1,273
19.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿578
$12.15 DZD 1,642
41.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Guelma
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,297
$22.47 DZD 3,037
204.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿367
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿250
$4.53 DZD 612
64.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Guelma
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.8K
$340 DZD 45.9K
56.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿631.4K
$4,850 DZD 655.7K
287.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Guelma
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,073
$31.78 DZD 4,296
94.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿950
$34.46 DZD 4,659
-18.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,228
$69.1 DZD 9,342
38.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,919
$80.6 DZD 10.9K
7.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Guelma
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.2K
$142 DZD 19.2K
407.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.1K
$92.1 DZD 12.5K
452.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.6K
$267 DZD 36.1K
630.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.0K
$197 DZD 26.7K
607.78%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿140.9K
$953 DZD 128.8K
339.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿110.9K
$1,037 DZD 140.3K
217.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Guelma
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.5K
$300 DZD 40.5K
63.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.3
5.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Guelma: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Guelma
$92 81.9% $417
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Guelma
$173 35% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Guelma
$58 54.1% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Guelma
$97 20.8% $26
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Guelma
$59 50.3% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Guelma
$32 62.1% $52
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Guelma
$11 84.1% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $142 in Guelma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 64% 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: $32 in Phuket vs $17 in Guelma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $173 per month, with Guelma cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇩🇿 Guelma
🕒 Local time
03:16 3:16 AM
21:16 9:16 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
120,847
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD). 1 EUR = 152 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.57 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Guelma 9,570 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Guelma

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Guelma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and in Guelma?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $522 in Guelma, so Guelma is about 60% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Phuket or Guelma?
Average pay runs 64% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Guelma?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $142 in Guelma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Guelma – a meal for two runs $17 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $522 in Guelma versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Guelma but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Guelma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Guelma?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Phuket or Guelma safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Guelma are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Guelma?
Expats usually find Guelma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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