Cost of Living Comparison Between Scalea and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Scalea and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,509 in Scalea versus $1,247 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,280 in Scalea versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,051 in Scalea versus $3,306 in Phuket.

Living in Scalea is roughly 21% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Scalea is 12% above, Phuket is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.68 €4.83

$4.59 ฿147

23.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 €59.3

$46.83 ฿1,501

48.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 €9.94

$8.70 ฿279

34.25%

Cappuccino

$1.69 €1.44

$2.92 ฿93.7

-42.12%

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

$2.41 €2.05

$0.68 ฿21.92

254.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.10

$0.40 ฿12.70

225.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.03

$2.51 ฿80.4

41.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.94

$3.80 ฿122

-8.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.19

$2.16 ฿69.3

-35.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.50

$1.88 ฿60.3

-5.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.13

$2.16 ฿69.2

15.74%

Eggs

$3.07 €2.61

$2.22 ฿71.2

38.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 €9.10

$19.57 ฿627

-45.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.11 €9.45

$3.80 ฿122

192.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 €13.55

$13.41 ฿430

18.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$3.26 ฿104

-46.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 €1.37

$1.61 ฿51.7

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 €1.27

$2.31 ฿74.0

-35.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.06 ฿66.0

-15.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.61 ฿51.5

-14.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.01

$1.44 ฿46.26

-17.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 €0.72

$1.03 ฿33.01

-17.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 €0.37

$0.48 ฿15.39

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 €5.64

$4.50 ฿144

47.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.94

$19.18 ฿615

-75.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.69

$1.82 ฿58.4

9.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.45

$2.69 ฿86.2

-36.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.51

$1.38 ฿44.16

28.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.93 €36.54

$11.76 ฿377

265.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.85 €5.83

$3.11 ฿99.6

120.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.91

$1.00 ฿32.18

7.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.86 €24.56

$13.74 ฿441

110.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.70

$1.30 ฿41.61

53.85%

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

$25.8K €21.9K

$27.4K ฿877.0K

-5.73%

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

$25.8K €22.0K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-21.77%

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

$210 €178

$125 ฿4,004

67.79%

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

$14.50 €12.34

$13.74 ฿440

5.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.28 €33.43

$18.61 ฿597

111.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €46.02

$60.6 ฿1,941

-10.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €19.48

$17.15 ฿550

33.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.27 €7.89

$9.01 ฿289

2.89%

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

$453 €385

$698 ฿22.4K

-35.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,970 €5,931

$16.1K ฿516.5K

-56.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 €67.0

$59.2 ฿1,898

33.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.06 €24.73

$34.86 ฿1,118

-16.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 €74.1

$114 ฿3,662

-23.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €96.1

$85.8 ฿2,751

31.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 €638

$619 ฿19.8K

21.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 €492

$437 ฿14.0K

32.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,052

$2,075 ฿66.5K

-40.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 €802

$1,509 ฿48.4K

-37.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,078 €2,620

$3,764 ฿120.7K

-18.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,136 €1,818

$2,694 ฿86.4K

-20.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.59

5.33

-13.88%

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

Last update for Scalea: April 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Scalea and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Scalea vs $47 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $292, with Scalea 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

Scalea vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,264 in Scalea and $1,870 in Phuket 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: $750 in Scalea versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Scalea versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Scalea pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,247 in Phuket versus $1,509 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, Scalea 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 21% less than in Scalea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.