Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Valencia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Valencia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $746 in Valencia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,259 in Valencia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,772 in Valencia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 68% more expensive than in Valencia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Valencia 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.88 VES 4,323

-22.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$51.0 VES 37.5K

-9.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$10.02 VES 7,364

-11.78%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.53 VES 1,861

20.95%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.27 VES 935

-42.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.97 VES 716

-58.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.28 VES 938

89.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.01 VES 1,481

88.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.90 VES 1,396

18.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.27 VES 932

42.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.22 VES 899

84.43%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.05 VES 1,507

9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$5.91 VES 4,341

230.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.81 VES 5,005

-46.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.89 VES 5,068

89.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$5.32 VES 3,912

-39.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.31 VES 960

23.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.94 VES 1,426

22.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$2.07 VES 1,523

-1.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.71 VES 1,990

-43.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.03 VES 1,494

-26.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.35 VES 991

-27.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.78 VES 1,311

-70.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.54 VES 1,866

74.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.84 VES 7,236

86.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.41 VES 1,036

31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.03 VES 1,493

32.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.29 VES 212

386.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$35.99 VES 26.5K

-67.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.30 VES 2,425

-5.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$2.21 VES 1,621

-52.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$3.97 VES 2,921

255.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$0.52 VES 380

151.92%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$25.1K VES 18.5M

10.72%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$39.6K VES 29.1M

-16.20%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$20.25 VES 14.9K

504.64%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$7.91 VES 5,813

71.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$37.93 VES 27.9K

-50.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$35.34 VES 26.0K

71.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$30.58 VES 22.5K

-44.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.14 VES 3,777

76.46%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$76.5 VES 56.2K

823.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$2,968 VES 2.2M

432.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$34.72 VES 25.5K

68.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$33.11 VES 24.3K

6.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$71.5 VES 52.5K

61.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$69.2 VES 50.9K

21.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$141 VES 103.5K

344.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$121 VES 88.9K

268.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$271 VES 198.9K

653.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$241 VES 177.3K

518.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$559 VES 411.0K

522.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$318 VES 233.8K

709.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$205 VES 150.9K

143.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

21.33

-75.01%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Valencia: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $141 in Valencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 143% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Valencia. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $240, with Valencia 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 Valencia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valencia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 143% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $141 in Valencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $76.5 in Valencia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $746 in Valencia versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Valencia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Valencia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Valencia 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 Valencia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.