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Madrid vs Phuket cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ช๐ธ Madrid
๐น๐ญ Phuket
At a glance
- Where Phuket is clearly cheaper: Massage (82%โ), Haircut (78%โ), Scooter rental (78%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Madrid is easier to travel (1.8 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Madrid 2 vs Phuket 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Madrid | Phuket | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 14$16.3 | เธฟ 130$3.94 | Phuket โ76% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 5$5.81 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Phuket โ58% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | เธฟ 450$13.6 | Phuket โ61% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | เธฟ 80$2.42 | Phuket โ17% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 4$4.65 | เธฟ 110$3.33 | Phuket โ28% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 9$10.5 | เธฟ 250$7.58 | Phuket โ28% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | เธฟ 12$0.36 | Phuket โ74% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.8$2.09 | เธฟ 25$0.76 | Phuket โ64% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 11$12.8 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Phuket โ53% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 7$8.14 | เธฟ 100$3.03 | Phuket โ63% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | เธฟ 40$1.21 | Phuket โ31% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 35$40.7 | เธฟ 300$9.09 | Phuket โ78% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 120$140 | เธฟ 2,000$60.6 | Phuket โ57% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,250$1,453 | เธฟ 16,000$485 | Phuket โ67% |
| Laundry | โฌ 3$3.49 | เธฟ 50$1.52 | Phuket โ57% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | เธฟ 299$9.06 | Phuket โ48% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 18$20.9 | เธฟ 150$4.55 | Phuket โ78% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 50$58.1 | เธฟ 350$10.6 | Phuket โ82% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 35$40.7 | เธฟ 1,000$30.3 | Phuket โ26% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | เธฟ 200$6.06 | Phuket โ65% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Madrid or Phuket?
Phuket is 60% cheaper than Madrid. Daily budget $267 vs $109; a month $5,187 vs $2,006.
Which is easier to travel, Madrid or Phuket?
Madrid is easier: Madrid 1.8/5 vs Phuket 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Madrid and Phuket?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Madrid is about $5,187 and Phuket about $2,006 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.