Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilagarcia de Arousa and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilagarcia de Arousa and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,431 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,094 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,757 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Vilagarcia de Arousa is roughly 16% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vilagarcia de Arousa is 7% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.50 €9.84

$4.63 ฿151

148.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.76 €34.04

$46.84 ฿1,532

-15.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 €6.75

$8.84 ฿289

-10.75%

Cappuccino

$1.72 €1.47

$3.00 ฿98.0

-42.67%

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

$2.43 €2.08

$0.74 ฿24.25

228.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.37 ฿11.95

343.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 €2.40

$2.44 ฿79.8

14.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 €3.00

$3.61 ฿118

-2.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.91

$2.26 ฿73.9

-53.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.84 ฿60.1

-15.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 €1.75

$2.24 ฿73.4

-8.48%

Eggs

$1.97 €1.69

$2.32 ฿75.7

-15.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 €6.97

$19.67 ฿643

-58.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.65 ฿119

87.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.50 €8.13

$13.10 ฿428

-27.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$3.39 ฿111

-33.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €1.99

$1.64 ฿53.7

42.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 €1.92

$2.41 ฿79.0

-7.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.96

$2.03 ฿66.4

12.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 €1.83

$1.56 ฿50.9

37.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 €1.97

$1.50 ฿48.94

53.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.68 €1.44

$1.02 ฿33.50

64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.72

$0.49 ฿16.00

73.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.40 €5.48

$4.45 ฿145

43.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.81 €4.12

$18.88 ฿617

-74.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.78 ฿58.1

-55.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.20

$2.75 ฿90.1

-6.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.40 ฿45.81

17.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.53 €28.70

$11.48 ฿376

192.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.47

$3.12 ฿102

67.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.00 ฿32.67

21.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.67 €18.55

$14.09 ฿461

53.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 €1.55

$1.35 ฿44.19

34.07%

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

$38.0K €32.6K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

39.92%

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

$31.0K €26.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-5.72%

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

$91.9 €78.7

$125 ฿4,087

-26.44%

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

$11.77 €10.08

$13.57 ฿444

-13.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.09 €21.47

$18.52 ฿606

35.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.81 €27.23

$61.5 ฿2,010

-48.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 €12.85

$16.84 ฿551

-10.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.94 €5.09

$9.19 ฿300

-35.36%

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

$330 €282

$698 ฿22.8K

-52.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,870 €5,880

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-55.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 €63.5

$57.8 ฿1,889

28.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.85 €27.27

$35.24 ฿1,152

-9.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 €63.8

$113 ฿3,699

-34.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €96.8

$86.4 ฿2,825

30.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 €737

$616 ฿20.1K

39.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 €590

$446 ฿14.6K

54.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 €1,149

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-34.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 €852

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-33.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,519 €1,300

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-59.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$870 €745

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-67.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,430 €2,080

$524 ฿17.1K

363.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.26

5.33

-20.08%

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

Last update for Vilagarcia de Arousa: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $862 in Vilagarcia de Arousa and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilagarcia de Arousa pays 364% 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: $40.00 in Vilagarcia de Arousa vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $292 per month, with Vilagarcia de Arousa 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

Vilagarcia de Arousa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Vilagarcia de Arousa pays 364% more on average, 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: $862 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $330 in Vilagarcia de Arousa versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Vilagarcia de Arousa pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,431 in Vilagarcia de Arousa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vilagarcia de Arousa. 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 Vilagarcia de Arousa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Vilagarcia de Arousa 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 16% less than in Vilagarcia de Arousa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.