Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarifa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarifa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,610 in Tarifa versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,376 in Tarifa versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,141 in Tarifa versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Tarifa is roughly 27% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tarifa is 20% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.01 €12.91

$4.70 ฿153

219.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.8 €49.67

$45.37 ฿1,482

27.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.43 ฿275

24.67%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.86

$2.93 ฿95.6

-25.94%

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

$2.29 €1.97

$0.69 ฿22.40

231.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.53

$0.37 ฿11.99

378.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 €2.83

$2.41 ฿78.6

36.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 €3.04

$3.72 ฿122

-5.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$2.23 ฿72.9

-48.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.83 ฿59.8

-22.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$2.17 ฿70.8

-26.27%

Eggs

$2.91 €2.50

$2.21 ฿72.3

31.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.69 €11.78

$19.74 ฿645

-30.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.28 €7.12

$3.63 ฿119

128.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 €12.76

$13.53 ฿442

9.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.19

$3.28 ฿107

-22.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.61 ฿52.6

27.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.62

$2.41 ฿78.6

-21.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.08 ฿68.1

27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.53 ฿49.93

17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.74

$1.48 ฿48.36

37.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.17

$0.99 ฿32.29

37.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 €0.64

$0.51 ฿16.67

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.22 €5.35

$4.41 ฿144

41.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.84 €5.02

$19.38 ฿633

-69.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.78 ฿58.1

-32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.71 ฿88.6

-22.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.37 ฿44.79

21.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.57 €29.73

$11.39 ฿372

203.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 €3.54

$3.02 ฿98.6

36.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 €1.09

$0.99 ฿32.48

28.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.06 €21.56

$14.10 ฿461

77.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.58

$1.36 ฿44.51

34.56%

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

$38.3K €33.0K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

35.84%

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

$30.4K €26.1K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-7.63%

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

$134 €115

$122 ฿3,975

9.95%

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

$20.61 €17.73

$13.57 ฿443

51.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.67 €26.39

$18.31 ฿598

67.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.15 €41.42

$60.2 ฿1,967

-20.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.17 €13.05

$17.14 ฿560

-11.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.40 €8.09

$8.69 ฿284

8.17%

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

$410 €352

$693 ฿22.6K

-40.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,109 €6,975

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-48.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 €73.9

$59.5 ฿1,944

44.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.82 €29.95

$34.77 ฿1,136

0.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 €76.6

$115 ฿3,743

-22.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.3

$83.3 ฿2,720

30.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$870 €748

$613 ฿20.0K

41.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 €589

$437 ฿14.3K

56.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,327 €1,142

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-36.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 €867

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-33.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,362 €2,892

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-10.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,311 €1,988

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-11.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.33

-34.33%

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

Last update for Tarifa: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $870 in Tarifa and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Tarifa vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $293, with Tarifa 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

Tarifa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,416 in Tarifa and $1,898 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: $870 in Tarifa versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $410 in Tarifa versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,610 in Tarifa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tarifa. 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 Tarifa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tarifa 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 27% less than in Tarifa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.