Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lugo

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,532 in Lugo, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Lugo
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Lugo Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Lugo

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Lugo

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 Lugo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,532 in Lugo.

Phuket $1,278
Lugo $1,532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,263 in Lugo.

Phuket $2,216
Lugo $2,263

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,994 in Lugo.

Phuket $3,154
Lugo $2,994

Living in Phuket costs roughly 17% less than in Lugo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Lugo is 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.18 €11.81

-66.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$55.4 €49.63

-41.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$9.90 €8.86

-11.01%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.09 €1.87

35.41%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.78 €2.49

-68.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.51 €1.35

-67.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$3.26 €2.92

-21.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.18 €1.95

68.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.16 €1.04

43.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.17 €1.04

24.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.31 €1.18

14.50%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.64 €2.37

-20.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$13.63 €12.20

39.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.32 €5.66

-47.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$16.72 €14.97

-34.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.84 €2.55

3.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$2.08 €1.86

-18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.27 €2.03

-0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$3.53 €3.16

-41.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.11 €0.99

36.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$2.21 €1.98

-37.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.43 €1.28

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.84 €0.75

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.86 €5.25

-28.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$4.60 €4.12

308.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.51 €1.36

20.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.81 €2.52

1.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.74 €0.66

95.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$34.10 €30.54

66.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$5.33 €4.77

-43.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.36 €1.22

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$18.67 €16.72

-80.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.73 €1.55

-15.03%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$29.4K €26.3K

-8.81%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$30.2K €27.1K

-11.75%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$146 €130

-33.81%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$19.54 €17.50

-42.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$32.70 €29.28

-48.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$44.61 €39.95

50.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$15.78 €14.14

-32.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$8.98 €8.04

-16.48%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$343 €307

38.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$8,492 €7,606

32.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$106 €95.1

-41.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$73.6 €65.9

-61.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$123 €111

-23.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$142 €127

-39.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$858 €768

-16.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$563 €504

-12.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,351 €1,210

42.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$794 €711

80.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$3,293 €2,950

26.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,264 €2,028

34.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,738 €1,557

-71.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

2.96

88.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lugo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Lugo

$563 36.7% 14.6% $72

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Lugo

$261 17% 1.9% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Lugo

$198 12.9% 58.9% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Lugo

$200 13.1% 64.4% $78

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Lugo

$198 12.9% 62.8% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Lugo

$63 4.1% 23.9% $20

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Lugo

$49 3.2% 30.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $858 in Lugo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lugo pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $55 in Lugo. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $261, with Lugo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇸 Lugo

🕒 Local time

07:46 7:46 AM

01:46 1:46 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

98,214

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Lugo 10,680 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

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Phuket
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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 Lugo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $858 in Lugo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lugo runs roughly 40% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,532 in Lugo – Phuket is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,532 in Lugo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Lugo. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Lugo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.