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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,795 in Scalea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $2,635 in Scalea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $3,475 in Scalea.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 30% less than in Scalea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Scalea is 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$17.63 €15.20

-73.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$58.9 €50.8

-45.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$11.79 €10.16

-26.38%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.30 €1.98

26.09%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$2.98 €2.57

-71.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.92 €1.65

-74.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$7.04 €6.07

-64.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.40 €3.79

-15.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.32 €1.14

43.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.68 €1.45

-16.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$2.68 €2.31

-39.55%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.72 €3.21

-39.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$11.84 €10.20

67.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$12.22 €10.54

-71.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$16.46 €14.19

-30.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.15 €1.85

34.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.73 €1.49

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.48 €1.27

53.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.76 €2.38

-22.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.68 €1.45

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.31 €1.13

8.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.29 €1.11

-14.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.45 €0.39

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$6.84 €5.90

-36.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.94 €6.84

134.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.81 €1.56

-0.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.65 €1.42

80.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.51 €1.30

49.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$43.61 €37.59

-46.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$8.00 €6.90

-61.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.34 €2.01

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$34.97 €30.15

-88.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$2.06 €1.78

-30.58%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$37.4K €32.2K

-25.70%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$36.6K €31.5K

-26.20%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$322 €278

-67.48%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$11.00 €9.48

3.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$36.51 €31.47

-51.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$58.6 €50.5

-7.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$27.53 €23.73

-58.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$10.23 €8.82

-23.95%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$456 €394

26.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$6,898 €5,946

67.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$87.0 €75.0

-26.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$34.85 €30.04

-16.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$88.0 €75.9

9.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$133 €114

-32.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$650 €561

12.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$540 €465

-7.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,361 €1,173

56.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$964 €831

29.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,474 €1,270

139.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,208 €1,041

117.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.55

56.90%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Scalea: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $650 in Scalea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in Scalea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $289 per month, with Phuket 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 Scalea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $2,693 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: $733 in Phuket versus $650 in Scalea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $456 in Scalea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Scalea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,795 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 42% less than in Scalea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.