Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Scalea Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Scalea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,509 in Scalea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $2,280 in Scalea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,306 in Phuket versus $3,051 in Scalea.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 17% less than in Scalea, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 7% below, Scalea is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.59 ฿147

$5.68 €4.83

-19.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.83 ฿1,501

$69.6 €59.3

-32.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿279

$11.68 €9.94

-25.51%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ฿93.7

$1.69 €1.44

72.78%

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

$0.68 ฿21.92

$2.41 €2.05

-71.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿12.70

$1.30 €1.10

-69.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 ฿80.4

$3.56 €3.03

-29.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 ฿122

$3.46 €2.94

9.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ฿69.3

$1.40 €1.19

54.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 ฿60.3

$1.77 €1.50

6.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 ฿69.2

$2.50 €2.13

-13.60%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿71.2

$3.07 €2.61

-27.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 ฿627

$10.70 €9.10

82.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.80 ฿122

$11.11 €9.45

-65.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 ฿430

$15.93 €13.55

-15.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ฿104

$1.75 €1.49

86.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.7

$1.61 €1.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 ฿74.0

$1.49 €1.27

55.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 ฿66.0

$1.75 €1.49

17.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 ฿51.5

$1.37 €1.17

17.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 ฿46.26

$1.19 €1.01

21.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.01

$0.85 €0.72

21.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.39

$0.44 €0.37

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 ฿144

$6.63 €5.64

-32.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.18 ฿615

$4.63 €3.94

314.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿58.4

$1.99 €1.69

-8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ฿86.2

$1.70 €1.45

58.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 ฿44.16

$1.77 €1.51

-22.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 ฿377

$42.93 €36.54

-72.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿99.6

$6.85 €5.83

-54.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.18

$1.07 €0.91

-6.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.74 ฿441

$28.86 €24.56

-52.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.61

$2.00 €1.70

-35.00%

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

$27.4K ฿877.0K

$25.8K €21.9K

6.07%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$25.8K €22.0K

27.82%

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

$125 ฿4,004

$210 €178

-40.40%

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

$13.74 ฿440

$14.50 €12.34

-5.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 ฿597

$39.28 €33.43

-52.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.6 ฿1,941

$54.1 €46.02

11.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.15 ฿550

$22.89 €19.48

-25.08%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ฿289

$9.27 €7.89

-2.80%

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

$698 ฿22.4K

$453 €385

54.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿516.5K

$6,970 €5,931

131.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 ฿1,898

$78.8 €67.0

-24.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.86 ฿1,118

$29.06 €24.73

19.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ฿3,662

$87.1 €74.1

31.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,751

$113 €96.1

-23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿19.8K

$750 €638

-17.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.0K

$579 €492

-24.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 ฿66.5K

$1,236 €1,052

67.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿48.4K

$942 €802

60.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 ฿120.7K

$3,078 €2,620

22.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 ฿86.4K

$2,136 €1,818

26.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.59

16.12%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Last update for Scalea: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $750 in Scalea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Phuket vs $70 in Scalea. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $260, with Scalea cheaper for home cooking.

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 Scalea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,870 in Phuket and $2,264 in Scalea to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $619 in Phuket versus $750 in Scalea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $453 in Scalea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Scalea pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,509 in Scalea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Scalea. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Scalea, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Scalea 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 21% less than in Scalea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.