Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Monte Argentario

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,546 in Monte Argentario, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Monte Argentario
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Monte Argentario Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monte Argentario

🇮🇹 Italy

$1,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Monte Argentario

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,546 in Monte Argentario, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Monte Argentario $1,546

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,376 in Monte Argentario, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Monte Argentario $2,376

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,205 in Monte Argentario, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Monte Argentario $3,205

Phuket is about 17% cheaper than Monte Argentario, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Monte Argentario is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$17.41 €15.59

-74.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$74.1 €66.3

-56.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.10 €9.94

-20.63%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.73 €1.55

63.58%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.94 €2.64

-70.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.52 €1.36

-67.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$5.67 €5.08

-54.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.66 €5.07

-34.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.32 €1.18

25.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.13 €1.90

-31.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.52 €2.26

-40.48%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$4.36 €3.90

-52.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$16.09 €14.41

18.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$12.36 €11.07

-73.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$17.66 €15.82

-38.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.49 €1.34

96.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.60 €1.43

5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.83 €1.64

22.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.34 €2.09

-11.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.53 €1.37

-1.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.77 €1.58

-22.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.52 €1.36

-29.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.26 €0.23

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.98 €5.36

-29.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.57 €5.88

186.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.55 €1.39

17.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$1.74 €1.56

63.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$1.60 €1.43

-9.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$43.55 €39.00

30.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$3.40 €3.05

-11.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.26 €1.13

-19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$28.20 €25.26

-86.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$2.02 €1.81

-27.23%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$34.6K €31.0K

-22.63%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$37.7K €33.8K

-29.21%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$165 €148

-41.66%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$9.99 €8.94

12.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$31.19 €27.93

-45.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$51.3 €45.92

31.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$25.32 €22.68

-57.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$8.48 €7.60

-11.56%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$594 €532

-19.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$3,924 €3,514

187.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$66.1 €59.2

-5.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$36.46 €32.66

-22.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$80.2 €71.8

17.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$94.0 €84.2

-8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$756 €677

-5.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$533 €478

-7.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$985 €882

95.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$834 €747

71.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,611 €2,338

59.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,916 €1,716

58.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

4.05

37.53%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Monte Argentario: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Monte Argentario

$533 34.5% 8.7% $43

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monte Argentario

$303 19.6% 13.7% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Monte Argentario

$206 13.4% 65.8% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Monte Argentario

$125 8.1% 2.2% $2.6

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Monte Argentario

$251 16.2% 106% $129

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Monte Argentario

$68 4.4% 17% $14

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Monte Argentario

$60 3.9% 15.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $756 in Monte Argentario. 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 $32 in Phuket versus $74 in Monte Argentario. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $303 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇮🇹 Monte Argentario

🕒 Local time

13:09 1:09 PM

07:09 7:09 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

12,660

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Monte Argentario 9,190 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Monte Argentario

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 Monte Argentario: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monte Argentario costs about 21% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,319 in Monte Argentario. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $716 in Phuket and $756 in Monte Argentario. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,546 in Monte Argentario. That makes Phuket about 17% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Monte Argentario. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Monte Argentario at $1,546. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monte Argentario it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.