Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zaragoza, El Salvador and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Zaragoza, El Salvador
Phuket, Thailand
Zaragoza
🇸🇻 El Salvador
$635
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zaragoza and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Zaragoza and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $635 in Zaragoza versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Zaragoza $635
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,036 in Zaragoza versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Zaragoza $1,036
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,437 in Zaragoza versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Zaragoza $1,437
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Zaragoza costs roughly 50% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Zaragoza 53% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Zaragoza
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.95 $6.95
$4.47 ฿151
55.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.51 $29.51
$32.41 ฿1,094
-8.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.96 $6.96
$8.81 ฿297
-21.00%
Cappuccino
$1.54 $1.54
$2.83 ฿95.5
-45.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 $1.11
$0.87 ฿29.43
27.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 $0.81
$0.49 ฿16.67
65.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.24 $1.24
$2.56 ฿86.4
-51.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 $2.12
$3.68 ฿124
-42.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Zaragoza
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.66 ฿56.0
7.23%
White Bread (500g)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.46 ฿49.35
55.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.97 $0.97
$1.50 ฿50.6
-35.33%
Eggs
$2.50 $2.50
$2.09 ฿70.5
19.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.49 $7.49
$19.07 ฿644
-60.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.92 $3.92
$3.30 ฿111
18.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.36 $5.36
$10.91 ฿368
-50.87%
Apples (1kg)
$3.99 $3.99
$2.93 ฿99.0
36.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 $1.42
$1.69 ฿57.1
-15.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.25 ฿75.8
14.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 $2.14
$2.08 ฿70.1
2.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.96 $2.96
$1.51 ฿51.0
96.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 $1.82
$1.38 ฿46.56
31.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.96 $0.96
$1.07 ฿35.99
-10.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 $0.79
$0.52 ฿17.52
51.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.77 $3.77
$4.20 ฿142
-10.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.20 $8.20
$18.79 ฿634
-56.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 $1.60
$1.82 ฿61.5
-12.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 $2.21
$2.84 ฿95.9
-22.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Zaragoza
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 $1.48
$1.45 ฿49.03
2.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 $4.90
$3.02 ฿102
62.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.02 ฿34.36
187.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.10 $20.10
$3.69 ฿125
444.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.47 ฿49.81
-23.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.8K $24.8K
$26.8K ฿904.3K
-7.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.6K $24.6K
$26.7K ฿901.3K
-7.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zaragoza
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$46.09 $46.09
$96.4 ฿3,254
-52.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.21 $21.21
$11.26 ฿380
88.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.34 $35.34
$16.85 ฿569
109.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Zaragoza
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.94 $34.94
$67.2 ฿2,270
-48.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.73 ฿362
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.03 $5.03
$7.50 ฿253
-32.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Zaragoza
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$150 $150
$476 ฿16.1K
-68.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,759 $4,759
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-57.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Zaragoza
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.3 $67.3
$62.4 ฿2,106
7.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.68 $46.68
$28.41 ฿959
64.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 $112
$94.3 ฿3,184
18.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.5 $69.5
$85.8 ฿2,898
-19.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Zaragoza
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$716 ฿24.2K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$491 ฿16.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,927 ฿65.1K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Zaragoza
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿17.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.5
5.57
52.60%

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

Last update for Zaragoza: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Zaragoza
$217
Phuket
$266 22.9% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Zaragoza
$133
Phuket
$122 8.2% $11
Eating Out
Zaragoza
$113
Phuket
$122 7.7% $8.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Zaragoza
$103
Phuket
$124 21.3% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Zaragoza
$45
Phuket
$82 82.7% $37
Getting Around
Zaragoza
$25 *
Phuket
$71 177% $45
Accommodation & Living
Zaragoza
- *
Phuket
$491

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30 in Zaragoza vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $266 per month, with Zaragoza cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇻 Zaragoza
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
07:04 7:04 AM
20:04 8:04 PM
13 h ahead of Zaragoza
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,749
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Zaragoza Phuket 17,480 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Zaragoza
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Zaragoza vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zaragoza cheaper than Phuket?
Zaragoza is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $953 in Zaragoza and $1,917 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.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $150 in Zaragoza versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Zaragoza or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Zaragoza – a meal for two runs $30 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Zaragoza or in Phuket?
At $635 in Zaragoza versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Zaragoza or in Phuket?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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