Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mataro

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,844 in Mataro, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Mataro, Spain
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Mataro
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,844
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mataro

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,844 in Mataro, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Mataro $1,844

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,696 in Mataro, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Mataro $2,696

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,548 in Mataro, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Mataro $3,548

Phuket is about 31% cheaper than Mataro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Mataro is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Mataro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$16.70 €15.00
-73.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$56.6 €50.9
-42.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$13.34 €11.99
-33.96%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$2.04 €1.83
38.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$2.33 €2.09
-62.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$1.89 €1.70
-74.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$4.01 €3.60
-36.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.40 €3.05
8.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Mataro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.23 €1.11
34.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$2.08 €1.87
-29.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.48 €1.33
1.35%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$3.99 €3.58
-47.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$17.04 €15.31
11.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$9.27 €8.33
-64.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$19.59 €17.60
-44.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.64 €2.37
10.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.96 €1.76
-13.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.69 €2.41
-16.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$2.86 €2.57
-27.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.07 €1.86
-27.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$2.28 €2.05
-39.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$1.52 €1.36
-29.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.88 €0.79
-40.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$6.35 €5.70
-33.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$5.64 €5.07
233.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.10 €0.99
65.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$2.29 €2.06
24.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Mataro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$2.54 €2.28
-42.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$34.37 €30.87
64.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.30 €2.07
31.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.07 €0.96
-4.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$29.06 €26.10
-87.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.74 €1.56
-15.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$32.3K €29.0K
-17.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$32.0K €28.8K
-16.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Mataro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$184 €165
-47.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$12.18 €10.94
-7.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$29.34 €26.35
-42.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Mataro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$60.8 €54.6
10.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$13.76 €12.36
-22.02%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$10.81 €9.71
-30.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Mataro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$500 €449
-4.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$7,830 €7,034
43.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Mataro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$87.1 €78.2
-28.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$39.89 €35.83
-28.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$96.9 €87.0
-2.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$114 €102
-24.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Mataro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$940 €844
-23.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$780 €700
-37.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$1,333 €1,198
44.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,172 €1,053
22.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$3,286 €2,951
27.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$2,846 €2,557
6.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Mataro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$1,861 €1,672
-73.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.28
69.82%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mataro: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Mataro
$780 58.8% $289
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Mataro
$310 16.5% $44
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Mataro
$226 81.3% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Mataro
$152 24.6% $30
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Mataro
$242 98.7% $120
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Mataro
$82 0.2% $0.2
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Mataro
$52 26.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $940 in Mataro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Mataro are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $57 in Mataro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $310 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇪🇸 Mataro
🕒 Local time
04:19 4:19 AM
22:19 10:19 PM
6 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
129,870
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Mataro 9,920 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Mataro

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 Mataro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Mataro compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,844 in Mataro – Phuket comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Mataro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,766 in Mataro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Mataro?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $940 in Mataro.
How do commuting costs compare in Phuket and in Mataro?
Public transport costs about 39% less in Mataro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Mataro?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $500 in Mataro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Mataro at $1,844. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mataro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Mataro?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Phuket and Mataro?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mataro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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