Cost of Living Comparison Between El Calafate and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between El Calafate and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in El Calafate versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in El Calafate versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in El Calafate versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in El Calafate costs roughly 22% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Calafate 28% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 ARS 14.9K

$4.63 ฿151

128.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 ARS 46.6K

$46.84 ฿1,523

-29.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ARS 12.4K

$8.84 ฿287

-0.34%

Cappuccino

$2.77 ARS 3,899

$3.00 ฿97.4

-7.67%

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

$1.73 ARS 2,430

$0.74 ฿24.11

133.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,091

$0.37 ฿11.88

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 ARS 2,894

$2.44 ฿79.3

-15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,123

$3.61 ฿117

-18.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ARS 1,763

$2.26 ฿73.5

-44.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 ARS 2,238

$1.84 ฿59.8

-13.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 2,823

$2.24 ฿73.0

-10.71%

Eggs

$2.24 ARS 3,158

$2.32 ฿75.3

-3.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.17 ARS 14.3K

$19.67 ฿639

-48.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 ARS 8,604

$3.65 ฿119

67.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.15 ARS 12.9K

$13.10 ฿426

-30.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ARS 2,718

$3.39 ฿110

-43.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 2,894

$1.64 ฿53.4

25.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,786

$2.41 ฿78.5

-47.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 ARS 3,697

$2.03 ฿66.0

29.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,679

$1.56 ฿50.6

-23.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ARS 1,755

$1.50 ฿48.66

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 ARS 1,801

$1.02 ฿33.30

25.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,033

$0.49 ฿15.91

193.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.11 ARS 4,379

$4.45 ฿145

-30.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 ARS 7,057

$18.88 ฿614

-73.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 ARS 2,828

$1.78 ฿57.7

12.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ARS 4,493

$2.75 ฿89.5

16.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 ARS 1,152

$1.40 ฿45.54

-41.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ARS 2,172

$3.12 ฿101

-50.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,287

$1.00 ฿32.48

-9.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 ARS 8,246

$14.09 ฿458

-58.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,560

$1.35 ฿43.93

-17.78%

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

$27.8K ARS 39.1M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

2.27%

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

$30.7K ARS 43.2M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-6.83%

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

$67.1 ARS 94.5K

$125 ฿4,063

-46.32%

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

$16.89 ARS 23.8K

$13.57 ฿441

24.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.86 ARS 32.2K

$18.52 ฿602

23.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.71 ARS 36.2K

$61.5 ฿1,999

-58.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.93 ARS 19.6K

$16.84 ฿547

-17.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.24 ARS 8,784

$9.19 ฿299

-32.10%

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

$221 ARS 310.9K

$698 ฿22.7K

-68.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 ARS 3.8M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-82.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.4 ARS 104.8K

$57.8 ฿1,878

28.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.2 ARS 98.8K

$35.24 ฿1,146

99.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 160.3K

$113 ฿3,677

0.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ARS 159.5K

$86.4 ฿2,808

31.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ARS 482.1K

$616 ฿20.0K

-44.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ARS 339.8K

$446 ฿14.5K

-45.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 ARS 966.4K

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-66.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$541 ARS 761.8K

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-63.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,839 ARS 2.6M

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-51.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,613 ARS 2.3M

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-39.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

5.33

997.56%

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

Last update for El Calafate: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $342 in El Calafate and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in El Calafate vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $292 per month, with El Calafate 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

El Calafate vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Calafate and Phuket differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($960 vs $1,232 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,441 in El Calafate and $1,847 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $342 in El Calafate versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $221 in El Calafate versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Calafate – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $960 in El Calafate versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Calafate but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes El Calafate the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, El Calafate 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 El Calafate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.