Cost of Living Comparison Between Roquetas de Mar and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Roquetas de Mar and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,402 in Roquetas de Mar versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,015 in Roquetas de Mar versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,629 in Roquetas de Mar versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Roquetas de Mar is roughly 14% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roquetas de Mar is 2% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.67 €11.92

$4.41 ฿147

209.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 €49.73

$32.26 ฿1,077

76.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 €9.51

$8.93 ฿298

22.17%

Cappuccino

$1.52 €1.32

$2.90 ฿96.6

-47.59%

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

$3.50 €3.05

$0.88 ฿29.38

297.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.49

$0.48 ฿16.06

254.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.54 €3.96

$2.35 ฿78.5

93.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 €3.04

$3.72 ฿124

-6.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.87 ฿62.3

-31.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 €1.59

$1.47 ฿48.94

24.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.55 ฿51.8

-7.74%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.50

$2.10 ฿70.1

90.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 €8.28

$19.59 ฿654

-51.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.44 €7.35

$3.42 ฿114

146.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.18 €14.98

$11.38 ฿380

50.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$2.98 ฿99.6

-29.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.68 ฿56.2

6.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$2.21 ฿73.7

-36.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 €1.34

$2.16 ฿72.1

-28.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.52 ฿50.9

24.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.34 ฿44.67

-15.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.13 ฿37.67

54.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 €0.36

$0.55 ฿18.24

-23.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 €5.78

$4.26 ฿142

55.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.42 €2.98

$19.09 ฿637

-82.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.84

$1.78 ฿59.4

-46.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.70

$2.78 ฿92.9

11.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 €0.90

$2.23 ฿74.4

-53.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.21 €30.69

$22.74 ฿759

54.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.93

$3.03 ฿101

48.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.24 €1.96

$1.02 ฿34.15

119.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.73 €11.97

$3.89 ฿130

252.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.65

$1.49 ฿49.77

26.85%

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

$35.7K €31.1K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

34.24%

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

$29.8K €26.0K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

10.19%

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

$140 €122

$102 ฿3,420

36.66%

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

$5.84 €5.09

$11.33 ฿378

-48.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 €20.50

$17.40 ฿581

35.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.28 €31.63

$52.1 ฿1,738

-30.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 €7.75

$7.69 ฿257

15.60%

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

$454 €396

$561 ฿18.7K

-19.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,857

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-1.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 €84.2

$63.0 ฿2,104

53.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.31 €25.55

$29.52 ฿986

-0.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.8 €49.53

$98.0 ฿3,272

-42.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$175 €153

$88.5 ฿2,954

97.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 €511

$738 ฿24.6K

-20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$525 €458

$482 ฿16.1K

8.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$813 €709

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-61.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$611 €533

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-50.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,095 €1,826

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-42.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,694 €1,477

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-34.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,306 €1,139

$494 ฿16.5K

164.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

5.57

-26.75%

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

Last update for Roquetas de Mar: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $586 in Roquetas de Mar and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roquetas de Mar pays 165% 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: $57.0 in Roquetas de Mar vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $248 vs $274, with Roquetas de Mar 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

Roquetas de Mar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 165% higher in Roquetas de Mar, 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: $586 in Roquetas de Mar versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $454 in Roquetas de Mar versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Roquetas de Mar pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,402 in Roquetas de Mar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Roquetas de Mar. 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 Roquetas de Mar, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Roquetas de Mar 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 14% less than in Roquetas de Mar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.