Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Les Escaldes Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Les Escaldes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,459 in Les Escaldes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,270 in Les Escaldes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $3,082 in Les Escaldes.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 16% less than in Les Escaldes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Les Escaldes is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$14.91 €12.76

-68.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$32.64 €27.94

43.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.79 €5.81

30.19%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.71 €1.46

-56.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.19 €1.02

-68.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.63 €1.40

37.42%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.77 €1.51

31.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.02 €6.87

145.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.17 €1.00

-58.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.21 €6.17

161.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$51.3 €43.90

-77.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$2.29 €1.96

36.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$125 ฿4,087

$40.68 €34.82

207.23%

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

$13.57 ฿444

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$52.7 €45.13

-64.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$93.5 €80.1

-34.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$11.69 €10.01

44.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$9.05 €7.75

1.55%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$105 €89.7

-44.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$57.2 €48.95

-38.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$80.7 €69.1

40.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$92.0 €78.7

-6.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$934 €799

-34.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$805 €689

-44.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$2,181 €1,867

-6.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,757 €1,504

-15.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$11.8K €10.1K

-77.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$2,910 €2,491

-82.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Les Escaldes: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $934 in Les Escaldes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Les Escaldes pays 455% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Les Escaldes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $66.0 per month, with Les Escaldes cheaper across the board.

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 Les Escaldes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Les Escaldes differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,459 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Les Escaldes earns 455% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $934 in Les Escaldes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Les Escaldes pay roughly 341% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,459 in Les Escaldes – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,459 in Les Escaldes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Les Escaldes. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Les Escaldes 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 18% less than in Les Escaldes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.