Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $985 in Lima versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,537 in Lima versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Lima versus $3,329 in Phuket.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 27% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 PEN 13.98

$4.70 ฿154

-12.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 PEN 112

$45.37 ฿1,483

-27.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 PEN 23.81

$8.43 ฿276

-16.96%

Cappuccino

$2.54 PEN 8.64

$2.93 ฿95.7

-13.31%

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

$0.92 PEN 3.14

$0.69 ฿22.42

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 PEN 2.06

$0.37 ฿12.00

64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 PEN 7.62

$2.41 ฿78.7

-7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 PEN 13.08

$3.72 ฿122

3.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.79

$2.23 ฿73.0

-36.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 PEN 9.30

$1.83 ฿59.9

49.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 PEN 4.44

$2.17 ฿70.9

-40.09%

Eggs

$2.96 PEN 10.07

$2.21 ฿72.4

33.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 PEN 27.12

$19.74 ฿645

-59.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.67 PEN 19.31

$3.63 ฿119

56.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.58 PEN 36.01

$13.53 ฿442

-21.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.88

$3.28 ฿107

-38.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.61 ฿52.7

-33.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.86

$2.41 ฿78.7

-53.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.26

$2.08 ฿68.1

-39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 PEN 3.52

$1.53 ฿49.97

-32.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 PEN 3.25

$1.48 ฿48.41

-35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.96

$0.99 ฿32.32

-12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PEN 3.00

$0.51 ฿16.68

72.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 PEN 18.58

$4.41 ฿144

23.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 PEN 30.55

$19.38 ฿634

-53.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 PEN 5.96

$1.78 ฿58.1

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 PEN 10.48

$2.71 ฿88.7

13.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 PEN 2.26

$1.37 ฿44.83

-51.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.61 PEN 104

$11.39 ฿372

168.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 PEN 11.51

$3.02 ฿98.7

11.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 PEN 7.53

$0.99 ฿32.51

123.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 PEN 27.97

$14.10 ฿461

-41.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.60

$1.36 ฿44.55

-0.74%

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

$19.3K PEN 65.7K

$28.2K ฿921.9K

-31.51%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-26.10%

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

$56.7 PEN 193

$122 ฿3,978

-53.40%

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

$12.64 PEN 43.01

$13.57 ฿444

-6.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.00 PEN 81.7

$18.31 ฿599

31.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.10 PEN 102

$60.2 ฿1,969

-50.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.95 PEN 64.5

$17.14 ฿560

10.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.74 PEN 22.92

$8.69 ฿284

-22.44%

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

$218 PEN 740

$693 ฿22.7K

-68.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,895 PEN 26.9K

$15.7K ฿512.8K

-49.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.95 PEN 170

$59.5 ฿1,946

-16.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.59 PEN 125

$34.77 ฿1,137

5.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 PEN 305

$115 ฿3,746

-21.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 PEN 300

$83.3 ฿2,723

5.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$606 PEN 2,063

$613 ฿20.0K

-1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$350 PEN 1,190

$437 ฿14.3K

-20.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 PEN 3,525

$2,094 ฿68.5K

-50.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 PEN 2,136

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-58.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,367 PEN 8,056

$3,749 ฿122.6K

-36.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,434 PEN 4,881

$2,616 ฿85.5K

-45.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 PEN 2,131

$508 ฿16.6K

23.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.11

5.33

89.68%

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

Last update for Lima: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $606 in Lima and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Lima vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $293 per month, with Lima 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

Lima vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima and Phuket differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($985 vs $1,265 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lima pays 23% more on average, 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: $606 in Lima versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Lima versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $985 in Lima versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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, Lima 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 Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.