Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cusco and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $692 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
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Cusco Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$692

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cusco 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 Cusco and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $692 in Cusco versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Cusco $692
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,102 in Cusco versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Cusco $1,102
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,512 in Cusco versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Cusco $1,512
Phuket $2,867

Living in Cusco costs roughly 43% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cusco 49% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.07 PEN 7.11

$4.58 ฿153

-54.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.09 PEN 69.0

$32.48 ฿1,086

-38.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 PEN 22.28

$8.55 ฿286

-24.09%

Cappuccino

$2.18 PEN 7.48

$2.72 ฿91.0

-19.85%

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

$0.78 PEN 2.67

$0.94 ฿31.25

-17.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 PEN 1.12

$0.49 ฿16.39

-32.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 PEN 5.83

$2.59 ฿86.6

-34.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 PEN 14.51

$3.83 ฿128

10.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 PEN 4.33

$1.74 ฿58.1

-27.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 PEN 7.92

$1.43 ฿47.82

61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.46

$1.53 ฿51.0

-15.03%

Eggs

$3.52 PEN 12.07

$2.17 ฿72.7

62.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.68 PEN 16.07

$19.15 ฿640

-75.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 PEN 15.08

$3.30 ฿110

33.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.12 PEN 24.44

$11.14 ฿372

-36.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 PEN 9.15

$2.95 ฿98.5

-9.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 PEN 2.81

$1.68 ฿56.1

-51.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 PEN 4.89

$2.30 ฿76.8

-38.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 PEN 3.09

$2.13 ฿71.3

-57.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.55

$1.53 ฿51.1

-32.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 PEN 3.85

$1.36 ฿45.55

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 PEN 1.84

$1.12 ฿37.44

-52.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 PEN 2.57

$0.55 ฿18.24

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 PEN 20.13

$18.19 ฿608

-67.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 PEN 6.63

$1.74 ฿58.2

10.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 PEN 14.18

$2.79 ฿93.3

48.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.96

$2.22 ฿74.1

-87.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 PEN 5.94

$2.91 ฿97.3

-40.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 PEN 6.58

$1.01 ฿33.79

90.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 PEN 10.10

$3.83 ฿128

-23.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 PEN 5.39

$1.49 ฿49.85

5.37%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

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

$29.2K PEN 100.3K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

9.38%

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

$28.88 PEN 99.2

$99.4 ฿3,321

-70.94%

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

$14.39 PEN 49.41

$11.28 ฿377

27.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.08 PEN 151

$17.36 ฿580

153.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.16 PEN 100

$52.3 ฿1,747

-44.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$4.47 PEN 15.35

$7.57 ฿253

-40.95%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.01 PEN 127

$62.9 ฿2,102

-41.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.94 PEN 117

$28.58 ฿955

18.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.6 PEN 187

$96.1 ฿3,213

-43.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.3 PEN 252

$88.1 ฿2,943

-16.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$214 PEN 736

$729 ฿24.4K

-70.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 PEN 666

$460 ฿15.4K

-57.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 PEN 1,850

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-74.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 PEN 1,446

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-65.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,183 PEN 10.9K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-7.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,825 PEN 6,269

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-26.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 PEN 1,442

$493 ฿16.5K

-14.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Cusco: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cusco

$194 28%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 137% $266

Groceries & Markets

Cusco

$187 27%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 43.2% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Cusco

$89 12.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 38.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cusco

$87 12.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 46.6% $41

Eating Out

Cusco

$84 12.1%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 45.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Cusco

$38 5.5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 77% $29

Getting Around

Cusco

$12 * 1.8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 213% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $214 in Cusco and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 17% 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: $20.00 in Cusco vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $268 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Cusco

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

02:59 2:59 AM

12 h ahead of Cusco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

428,450

79,308

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cusco Phuket 18,790 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Cusco
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

Cusco vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $214 in Cusco versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $692 in Cusco versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cusco is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cusco 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 Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.