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: $999 in Lima versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,561 in Lima versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,124 in Lima versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Lima costs roughly 20% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 PEN 13.77

$4.55 ฿153

-10.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.99 PEN 115

$46.18 ฿1,554

-26.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 PEN 22.86

$8.84 ฿298

-23.76%

Cappuccino

$2.52 PEN 8.56

$3.06 ฿103

-17.65%

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

$0.94 PEN 3.18

$0.73 ฿24.42

28.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.21

$0.40 ฿13.40

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 PEN 7.35

$2.43 ฿81.8

-10.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 PEN 13.39

$3.78 ฿127

4.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 PEN 4.78

$2.26 ฿76.0

-37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 PEN 9.22

$1.81 ฿60.9

50.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.64

$2.25 ฿75.8

-39.11%

Eggs

$2.94 PEN 9.98

$2.25 ฿75.6

30.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 PEN 26.87

$19.51 ฿656

-59.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.76 PEN 19.54

$3.65 ฿123

57.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 PEN 36.32

$13.05 ฿439

-17.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 PEN 6.72

$3.23 ฿109

-38.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 PEN 3.66

$1.62 ฿54.4

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 PEN 3.72

$2.38 ฿80.2

-53.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.19 PEN 4.05

$2.03 ฿68.2

-41.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 PEN 3.51

$1.53 ฿51.6

-32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 PEN 3.38

$1.50 ฿50.5

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 PEN 2.94

$0.98 ฿32.93

-11.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PEN 2.93

$0.52 ฿17.40

65.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 PEN 18.96

$4.44 ฿149

25.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 PEN 30.51

$18.32 ฿616

-50.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 PEN 5.99

$1.86 ฿62.7

-4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 PEN 10.42

$2.68 ฿90.2

14.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 PEN 2.29

$1.41 ฿47.49

-51.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.68 PEN 107

$11.70 ฿394

170.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 PEN 11.43

$3.11 ฿105

8.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 PEN 7.54

$1.04 ฿35.08

113.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 PEN 28.00

$14.11 ฿475

-41.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 PEN 4.58

$1.31 ฿44.13

3.05%

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

$19.4K PEN 65.8K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-30.25%

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

$24.3K PEN 82.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-26.97%

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

$56.4 PEN 191

$122 ฿4,120

-53.90%

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

$12.57 PEN 42.63

$13.59 ฿457

-7.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 PEN 80.3

$18.70 ฿629

26.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.04 PEN 105

$60.5 ฿2,035

-48.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 PEN 63.4

$16.98 ฿572

10.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 PEN 23.17

$9.07 ฿305

-24.70%

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

$219 PEN 743

$706 ฿23.8K

-69.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,096 PEN 27.5K

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-48.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.58 PEN 168

$58.6 ฿1,970

-15.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.59 PEN 121

$35.36 ฿1,190

0.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 PEN 303

$115 ฿3,885

-22.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 PEN 302

$83.7 ฿2,818

6.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$623 PEN 2,115

$626 ฿21.1K

-0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$344 PEN 1,167

$445 ฿15.0K

-22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 PEN 3,484

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-49.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$618 PEN 2,098

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-58.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,315 PEN 7,852

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-33.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 PEN 4,734

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-45.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 PEN 2,120

$500 ฿16.8K

25.04%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $623 in Lima and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Lima vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $289 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 25% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $1,250 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 25% higher in Lima, 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: $623 in Lima versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $219 in Lima versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $999 in Lima versus $1,250 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.