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: $1,016 in Lima versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,623 in Lima versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,229 in Lima versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Lima costs roughly 19% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 26% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 PEN 14.63

$4.56 ฿150

-4.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.17 PEN 108

$32.62 ฿1,073

-1.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.03 PEN 23.65

$8.90 ฿293

-21.01%

Cappuccino

$3.23 PEN 10.87

$2.80 ฿92.2

15.36%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.81

$0.88 ฿28.94

28.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.08

$0.49 ฿16.08

26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 PEN 9.02

$2.39 ฿78.5

12.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 PEN 15.24

$3.71 ฿122

22.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.51

$1.79 ฿58.8

-8.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 PEN 8.75

$1.44 ฿47.40

80.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.51

$1.58 ฿52.1

-15.19%

Eggs

$3.05 PEN 10.27

$2.13 ฿69.9

43.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 PEN 30.31

$19.92 ฿655

-54.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.93 PEN 19.93

$3.43 ฿113

72.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 PEN 32.97

$11.33 ฿372

-13.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 PEN 7.05

$2.95 ฿97.0

-28.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 PEN 3.54

$1.72 ฿56.6

-38.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.89

$2.32 ฿76.5

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PEN 5.04

$2.08 ฿68.4

-27.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.11

$1.47 ฿48.34

-36.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 PEN 3.17

$1.36 ฿44.65

-30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.01

$1.10 ฿36.13

-19.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 PEN 3.20

$0.57 ฿18.89

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.82 PEN 19.56

$4.27 ฿140

36.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 PEN 30.35

$18.42 ฿606

-51.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 PEN 6.52

$1.87 ฿61.5

3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 PEN 10.85

$2.92 ฿96.1

10.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 PEN 2.31

$2.22 ฿73.0

-68.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.19 PEN 91.5

$22.90 ฿753

18.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 PEN 13.11

$3.03 ฿99.6

28.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 PEN 6.83

$1.07 ฿35.32

89.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 PEN 25.05

$3.93 ฿129

89.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.77

$1.49 ฿49.06

14.77%

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

$22.2K PEN 74.6K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-18.20%

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

$26.7K PEN 89.9K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

-2.64%

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

$71.1 PEN 239

$103 ฿3,380

-30.87%

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

$16.93 PEN 56.9

$10.99 ฿361

54.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.29 PEN 95.2

$17.51 ฿576

61.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 PEN 114

$53.5 ฿1,760

-36.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.96 PEN 67.2

$11.20 ฿368

78.21%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 PEN 24.30

$7.48 ฿246

-3.34%

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

$181 PEN 608

$557 ฿18.3K

-67.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K PEN 45.2K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

13.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 PEN 182

$64.1 ฿2,107

-15.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.57 PEN 120

$29.07 ฿956

22.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 PEN 289

$96.0 ฿3,155

-10.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 PEN 273

$90.3 ฿2,970

-10.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$759 PEN 2,551

$730 ฿24.0K

3.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 PEN 1,165

$500 ฿16.4K

-30.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 PEN 4,218

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-40.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 PEN 2,172

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-46.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,479 PEN 8,338

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-31.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,391 PEN 4,678

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-44.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$669 PEN 2,249

$503 ฿16.6K

32.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

5.57

60.50%

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

Last update for Lima: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $759 in Lima and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Lima vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $273 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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,016 vs $1,253 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $759 in Lima versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $181 in Lima versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,016 in Lima versus $1,253 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 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.