Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarragona and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tarragona and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,751 in Tarragona versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,534 in Tarragona versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,316 in Tarragona versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Tarragona is roughly 40% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tarragona is 31% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 €15.04

$4.55 ฿153

278.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.68 €39.91

$46.18 ฿1,550

-1.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.13

$8.84 ฿297

18.21%

Cappuccino

$2.49 €2.18

$3.06 ฿103

-18.63%

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

$2.48 €2.16

$0.73 ฿24.36

239.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.40 ฿13.37

332.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.05

$2.43 ฿81.6

43.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.10

$3.78 ฿127

-6.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.10

$2.26 ฿75.8

-44.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.74

$1.81 ฿60.8

9.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.45

$2.25 ฿75.7

-26.22%

Eggs

$2.84 €2.48

$2.25 ฿75.4

26.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.46 €12.63

$19.51 ฿655

-25.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 €7.95

$3.65 ฿122

149.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 €15.18

$13.05 ฿438

33.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 €2.81

$3.23 ฿109

-0.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 €2.47

$1.62 ฿54.3

74.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 €2.51

$2.38 ฿80.0

20.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 €2.53

$2.03 ฿68.0

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.53 ฿51.5

-9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 €1.23

$1.50 ฿50.4

-6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.98 ฿32.85

53.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.66

$0.52 ฿17.36

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 €5.62

$4.44 ฿149

44.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.08 €4.44

$18.32 ฿615

-72.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.90

$1.86 ฿62.6

17.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 €1.79

$2.68 ฿90.0

-23.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.41 ฿47.37

21.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.81 €25.18

$11.70 ฿393

146.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.61

$3.11 ฿104

33.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.05

$1.04 ฿35.00

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.92 €20.03

$14.11 ฿474

62.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.58

$1.31 ฿44.02

38.17%

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

$38.1K €33.3K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

37.09%

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

$30.4K €26.6K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-8.48%

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

$122 €107

$122 ฿4,110

-0.33%

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

$19.96 €17.44

$13.59 ฿456

46.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.89 €33.11

$18.70 ฿628

102.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 €46.26

$60.5 ฿2,031

-12.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.16 €21.98

$16.98 ฿570

48.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 €7.98

$9.07 ฿305

0.77%

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

$326 €285

$706 ฿23.7K

-53.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,836 €5,973

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-56.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.9 €82.9

$58.6 ฿1,965

62.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 €30.45

$35.36 ฿1,187

-1.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 €67.5

$115 ฿3,876

-33.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €88.5

$83.7 ฿2,811

20.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$830 €725

$626 ฿21.0K

32.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$796 €695

$445 ฿14.9K

78.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 €1,038

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 €990

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-24.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,778 €2,427

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-20.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,344 €1,174

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-47.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,078 €1,816

$500 ฿16.8K

315.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.75

5.33

-29.64%

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

Last update for Tarragona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $830 in Tarragona and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tarragona pays 316% 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: $46.00 in Tarragona vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $289, with Phuket 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

Tarragona vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 316% higher in Tarragona, 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: $830 in Tarragona versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $326 in Tarragona versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Tarragona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,751 in Tarragona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tarragona. 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 Tarragona, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tarragona 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 40% less than in Tarragona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.