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: $950 in El Calafate versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,580 in El Calafate versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in El Calafate versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in El Calafate costs roughly 25% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Calafate 29% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.36 ARS 15.4K

$4.48 ฿150

131.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.48 ARS 49.7K

$45.59 ฿1,521

-26.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 ARS 13.1K

$8.76 ฿292

0.34%

Cappuccino

$2.68 ARS 3,977

$2.97 ฿99.0

-9.76%

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

$1.65 ARS 2,457

$0.69 ฿22.90

139.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 ARS 2,216

$0.39 ฿13.04

282.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 ARS 3,117

$2.53 ฿84.4

-17.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ARS 4,566

$3.75 ฿125

-18.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ARS 1,860

$2.15 ฿71.6

-41.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ARS 2,344

$1.82 ฿60.6

-13.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 2,936

$2.18 ฿72.9

-9.17%

Eggs

$2.16 ARS 3,205

$2.25 ฿75.0

-4.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 ARS 14.9K

$20.00 ฿667

-49.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.11 ARS 9,072

$3.63 ฿121

68.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 ARS 13.7K

$13.56 ฿452

-32.01%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 ARS 2,875

$3.24 ฿108

-40.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 ARS 3,039

$1.64 ฿54.6

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ARS 1,950

$2.33 ฿77.8

-43.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 ARS 3,868

$2.07 ฿69.1

26.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ARS 1,755

$1.55 ฿51.6

-23.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ARS 1,850

$1.46 ฿48.54

-14.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 ARS 1,888

$0.98 ฿32.86

29.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,139

$0.48 ฿16.09

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ARS 4,628

$4.35 ฿145

-28.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.93 ARS 7,317

$18.57 ฿620

-73.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ARS 2,950

$1.86 ฿61.9

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 ARS 4,580

$2.65 ฿88.6

16.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 ARS 1,210

$1.42 ฿47.28

-42.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ARS 2,248

$3.17 ฿106

-52.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ARS 1,287

$1.03 ฿34.41

-15.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 ARS 8,978

$13.89 ฿463

-56.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ARS 1,632

$1.34 ฿44.84

-17.91%

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

$27.6K ARS 41.1M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-0.52%

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

$30.1K ARS 44.7M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-9.92%

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

$67.4 ARS 100.1K

$123 ฿4,105

-45.21%

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

$16.92 ARS 25.1K

$13.77 ฿459

22.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.83 ARS 33.9K

$18.33 ฿611

24.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.77 ARS 38.3K

$60.7 ฿2,025

-57.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.89 ARS 20.6K

$17.16 ฿573

-19.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 ARS 9,357

$8.87 ฿296

-28.97%

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

$220 ARS 326.8K

$688 ฿22.9K

-68.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,670 ARS 4.0M

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-83.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 ARS 111.3K

$59.3 ฿1,978

26.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.2 ARS 101.3K

$34.69 ฿1,157

96.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ARS 172.6K

$115 ฿3,843

0.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 ARS 167.4K

$83.8 ฿2,794

34.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 ARS 491.5K

$621 ฿20.7K

-46.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 ARS 352.0K

$446 ฿14.9K

-46.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 ARS 998.9K

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-66.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$535 ARS 793.7K

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-64.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,847 ARS 2.7M

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-46.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,557 ARS 2.3M

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-38.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $331 in El Calafate and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in El Calafate vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $291 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 33% in total monthly costs ($950 vs $1,264 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,425 in El Calafate and $1,896 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: $331 in El Calafate versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $220 in El Calafate versus $688 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $950 in El Calafate versus $1,264 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.