Cost of Living Comparison Between Arecibo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Arecibo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,440 in Arecibo versus $1,223 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,182 in Arecibo versus $2,237 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,924 in Arecibo versus $3,251 in Phuket.

Living in Arecibo is roughly 18% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arecibo is 8% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 $11.76

$4.51 ฿148

160.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.98 $49.98

$46.62 ฿1,528

7.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.55 $7.55

$8.49 ฿278

-11.07%

Cappuccino

$3.34 $3.34

$3.08 ฿101

8.44%

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

$1.54 $1.54

$0.68 ฿22.26

126.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.36 ฿11.84

286.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.43 ฿79.5

-16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.63 ฿119

11.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.19 ฿71.7

-18.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.81 ฿59.5

83.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.23 ฿73.1

-2.69%

Eggs

$3.75 $3.75

$2.24 ฿73.3

67.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$19.60 ฿642

-55.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.72 ฿122

74.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.79 $8.79

$13.47 ฿441

-34.74%

Apples (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$3.36 ฿110

79.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.62 ฿53.0

24.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.41 ฿79.0

57.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.99 ฿65.2

109.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.53 ฿50.2

154.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.45 ฿47.59

103.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.01 ฿33.23

117.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.48 ฿15.86

204.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.14 $8.14

$4.27 ฿140

90.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 $15.32

$19.12 ฿627

-19.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.84 ฿60.2

17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.74 ฿89.8

14.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.42 ฿46.44

38.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.52 $40.52

$11.72 ฿384

245.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿98.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.05 ฿34.28

46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.90 ฿456

6.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.29 ฿42.28

-30.23%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$28.0K ฿918.7K

29.56%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-29.25%

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

$183 $183

$122 ฿3,997

49.66%

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

$78.7 $78.7

$13.93 ฿457

465.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$18.87 ฿618

275.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.31 $39.31

$61.3 ฿2,008

-35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿552

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 $6.98

$8.89 ฿291

-21.48%

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

$468 $468

$691 ฿22.7K

-32.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,920 $3,920

$16.2K ฿529.5K

-75.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.44 $44.44

$57.8 ฿1,894

-23.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.18 $15.18

$35.39 ฿1,160

-57.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 $91.2

$113 ฿3,716

-19.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.8 $82.8

$83.0 ฿2,720

-0.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 $498

$607 ฿19.9K

-17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 $400

$448 ฿14.7K

-10.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 $1,059

$2,029 ฿66.5K

-47.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 $685

$1,493 ฿48.9K

-54.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿117.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,220 $1,220

$505 ฿16.5K

141.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

5.33

-21.76%

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

Last update for Arecibo: June 15, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Arecibo and $607 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arecibo pays 142% 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: $50.0 in Arecibo vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $329 vs $292 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

Arecibo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 142% higher in Arecibo, 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: $498 in Arecibo versus $607 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Arecibo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $50.0 in Arecibo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,223 in Phuket versus $1,440 in Arecibo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Arecibo. 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 Arecibo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arecibo 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 18% less than in Arecibo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.