Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Zaragoza, El Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
Learn more

Zaragoza Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Zaragoza

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $635 in Zaragoza.

Phuket $1,278
Zaragoza $635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,036 in Zaragoza.

Phuket $2,216
Zaragoza $1,036

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,437 in Zaragoza.

Phuket $3,154
Zaragoza $1,437

Living in Phuket is roughly 101% more expensive than in Zaragoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Zaragoza 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.95 $6.95

-35.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$29.51 $29.51

9.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.96 $6.96

26.58%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.54 $1.54

83.77%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.11 $1.11

-21.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.81 $0.81

-39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.24 $1.24

106.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.12 $2.12

73.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.78 $1.78

-6.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.27 $2.27

-35.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$0.97 $0.97

54.64%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.50 $2.50

-16.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$7.49 $7.49

154.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.92 $3.92

-15.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.36 $5.36

103.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$3.99 $3.99

-26.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.42 $1.42

19.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.58 $2.58

-12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$2.14 $2.14

-2.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.96 $2.96

-48.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.82 $1.82

-24.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.96 $0.96

11.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.79 $0.79

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$3.77 $3.77

11.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.20 $8.20

129.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.60 $1.60

13.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.21 $2.21

28.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$1.48 $1.48

-2.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$4.90 $4.90

-38.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$2.93 $2.93

-65.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$20.10 $20.10

-81.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.12 $1.12

31.25%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$24.8K $24.8K

8.09%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$24.6K $24.6K

8.36%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$46.09 $46.09

109.05%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$21.21 $21.21

-46.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$35.34 $35.34

-52.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$34.94 $34.94

92.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$5.03 $5.03

49.11%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$150 $150

216.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$4,759 $4,759

136.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$67.3 $67.3

-7.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$46.68 $46.68

-39.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$112 $112

-15.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$69.5 $69.5

23.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.5

-34.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Zaragoza: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Zaragoza

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Zaragoza

$217 34.1% 18.6% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Zaragoza

$103 16.2% 17.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Zaragoza

$133 20.9% 8.9% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Zaragoza

$113 17.8% 7.2% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Zaragoza

$45 7.1% 45.3% $37

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Zaragoza

$25 * 4% 63.9% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $30 in Zaragoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $217 per month, with Zaragoza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

08:57 8:57 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

11,749

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Zaragoza 17,480 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Zaragoza

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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaragoza is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $953 in Zaragoza 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.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $150 in Zaragoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zaragoza – a meal for two runs $30 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $635 in Zaragoza versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.