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: $1,824 in Tarragona versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,712 in Tarragona versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,600 in Tarragona versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Tarragona is roughly 48% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tarragona is 33% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 €15.99

$4.41 ฿147

315.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 €50.6

$32.26 ฿1,077

79.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 €8.06

$8.93 ฿298

3.58%

Cappuccino

$2.63 €2.29

$2.90 ฿96.6

-9.31%

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

$2.57 €2.24

$0.88 ฿29.38

192.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.48 ฿16.06

337.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.10

$2.35 ฿78.5

51.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 €3.53

$3.72 ฿124

8.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.87 ฿62.3

-31.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.73

$1.47 ฿48.94

35.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.55 ฿51.8

-2.58%

Eggs

$3.58 €3.12

$2.10 ฿70.1

70.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.77 €12.00

$19.59 ฿654

-29.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 €9.35

$3.42 ฿114

213.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 €13.03

$11.38 ฿380

31.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.50

$2.98 ฿99.6

-3.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.58 €2.25

$1.68 ฿56.2

53.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.50

$2.21 ฿73.7

29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.72 €2.37

$2.16 ฿72.1

25.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.52 ฿50.9

9.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.34 ฿44.67

53.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.13 ฿37.67

32.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.58

$0.55 ฿18.24

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.02 €6.12

$4.26 ฿142

64.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 €4.58

$19.09 ฿637

-72.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.75

$1.78 ฿59.4

12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.62

$2.78 ฿92.9

-33.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.23 ฿74.4

-23.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.46 €24.81

$22.74 ฿759

25.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 €3.61

$3.03 ฿101

36.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.02 ฿34.15

47.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.61 €19.71

$3.89 ฿130

481.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.49 ฿49.77

14.77%

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

$36.0K €31.4K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

35.61%

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

$31.0K €27.0K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

14.78%

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

$130 €114

$102 ฿3,420

27.33%

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

$24.64 €21.48

$11.33 ฿378

117.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.64 €27.58

$17.40 ฿581

81.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.9 €54.9

$52.1 ฿1,738

20.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.61 €21.45

$11.07 ฿370

122.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 €8.12

$7.69 ฿257

21.07%

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

$326 €284

$561 ฿18.7K

-41.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €92.2

$63.0 ฿2,104

67.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.21 €29.82

$29.52 ฿986

15.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 €72.6

$98.0 ฿3,272

-15.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.0 €79.3

$88.5 ฿2,954

2.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$943 €822

$738 ฿24.6K

27.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$807 €704

$482 ฿16.1K

67.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,108

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-39.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 €1,063

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-0.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,756 €2,402

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-23.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,328 €1,158

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-48.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,118 €1,846

$494 ฿16.5K

329.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.02

5.57

-45.78%

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

Last update for Tarragona: September 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $943 in Tarragona and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tarragona pays 329% 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: $58.0 in Tarragona vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $274 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

Tarragona vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 329% 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: $943 in Tarragona versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $326 in Tarragona versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Tarragona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,824 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 48% less than in Tarragona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.