Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated September 2026
| Item | Madrid | Phuket | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | € 12$14 | ฿ 90$2.73 | Phuket −80% |
| Street food1 item | € 5.4$6.28 | ฿ 41$1.24 | Phuket −80% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | € 26$30.2 | ฿ 500$15.2 | Phuket −50% |
| Coffeeone cup | € 2$2.33 | ฿ 90$2.73 | Madrid −15% |
| Beerone bottle | € 3$3.49 | ฿ 110$3.33 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | € 7.8$9.07 | ฿ 290$8.79 | similar |
| Bottled water | € 1.5$1.74 | ฿ 12$0.36 | Phuket −79% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | € 3.8$4.42 | ฿ 30$0.91 | Phuket −79% |
| Taxi5 km in town | € 10$11.6 | ฿ 78$2.36 | Phuket −80% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | € 7$8.14 | ฿ 82$2.48 | Phuket −69% |
| Transitone ride | € 1.5$1.74 | ฿ 40$1.21 | Phuket −31% |
| Scooter rentalper day | € 30$34.9 | ฿ 330$10 | Phuket −71% |
| Hotel night3-star | € 120$140 | ฿ 1,800$54.5 | Phuket −61% |
| Studio rent (month) | € 1,200$1,395 | ฿ 15,000$455 | Phuket −67% |
| Laundry | € 3$3.49 | ฿ 61$1.85 | Phuket −47% |
| SIM card1 week data | € 13$15.1 | ฿ 330$10 | Phuket −34% |
| Haircutcut | € 16$18.6 | ฿ 140$4.24 | Phuket −77% |
| Massage1 hour | € 47$54.7 | ฿ 410$12.4 | Phuket −77% |
| Half-day tourper person | € 43$50 | ฿ 1,200$36.4 | Phuket −27% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | € 13$15.1 | ฿ 330$10 | Phuket −34% |
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%+.
Phuket is 63% cheaper than Madrid. Daily budget $252 vs $92.3; a month $4,794 vs $1,792.
With a short-term studio and living costs, Madrid is about $4,794 and Phuket about $1,792 per month.
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.