Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto de la Cruz and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto de la Cruz and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,962 in Puerto de la Cruz versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,823 in Puerto de la Cruz versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,685 in Puerto de la Cruz versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Puerto de la Cruz is roughly 57% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puerto de la Cruz is 43% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.07 €12.09

$4.56 ฿150

208.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.9 €53.3

$32.62 ฿1,073

89.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 €8.84

$8.90 ฿293

15.62%

Cappuccino

$2.56 €2.20

$2.80 ฿92.2

-8.57%

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

$1.95 €1.68

$0.88 ฿28.94

121.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.34

$0.49 ฿16.08

218.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.94 €2.52

$2.39 ฿78.5

23.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 €3.29

$3.71 ฿122

3.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.79 ฿58.8

-36.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.44 ฿47.40

20.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.58 ฿52.1

8.86%

Eggs

$3.68 €3.17

$2.13 ฿69.9

72.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 €10.72

$19.92 ฿655

-37.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 €8.74

$3.43 ฿113

196.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.82 €11.88

$11.33 ฿372

21.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.95 ฿97.0

-10.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.72 ฿56.6

25.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 €1.28

$2.32 ฿76.5

-36.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.68 €2.30

$2.08 ฿68.4

28.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.47 ฿48.34

61.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.36 ฿44.65

84.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.10 ฿36.13

85.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$0.57 ฿18.89

61.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 €3.66

$4.27 ฿140

-0.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 €5.98

$18.42 ฿606

-62.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.87 ฿61.5

-24.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 €2.32

$2.92 ฿96.1

-7.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.80 €38.51

$22.90 ฿753

95.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 €2.95

$3.03 ฿99.6

13.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 €1.96

$1.07 ฿35.32

113.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.98 €24.91

$3.93 ฿129

637.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.49 ฿49.06

9.40%

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

$36.6K €31.5K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

35.08%

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

$29.7K €25.5K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

8.16%

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

$118 €102

$103 ฿3,380

15.23%

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

$20.20 €17.37

$10.99 ฿361

83.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.39 €25.27

$17.51 ฿576

67.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.20 €14.79

$11.20 ฿368

53.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.15 €7.87

$7.48 ฿246

22.33%

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

$493 €424

$557 ฿18.3K

-11.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,888 €5,922

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-41.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 €77.3

$64.1 ฿2,107

40.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.47 €33.94

$29.07 ฿956

35.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 €80.4

$96.0 ฿3,155

-2.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €109

$90.3 ฿2,970

40.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 €995

$730 ฿24.0K

58.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 €926

$500 ฿16.4K

115.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 €1,726

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-3.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,388

$1,209 ฿39.8K

33.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,866 €3,324

$3,596 ฿118.2K

7.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,674 €3,158

$2,512 ฿82.6K

46.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,374 €1,182

$503 ฿16.6K

173.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.15

5.57

-43.45%

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

Last update for Puerto de la Cruz: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,157 in Puerto de la Cruz and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto de la Cruz pays 173% 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: $62.0 in Puerto de la Cruz vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $273 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

Puerto de la Cruz vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 173% higher in Puerto de la Cruz, 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: $1,157 in Puerto de la Cruz versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $493 in Puerto de la Cruz versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Puerto de la Cruz. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,962 in Puerto de la Cruz, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Puerto de la Cruz. 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 Puerto de la Cruz, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Puerto de la Cruz and Phuket 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 57% less than in Puerto de la Cruz. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.