Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,368 in Maldonado, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Maldonado despite lower rent and utilities.

66

Cost of Living Index in Maldonado
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Maldonado Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Maldonado

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,368

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maldonado and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Maldonado and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Maldonado versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Maldonado $1,368
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,178 in Maldonado versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Maldonado $2,178
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Maldonado versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Maldonado $2,988
Phuket $2,845

Living in Maldonado is roughly 13% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maldonado is 1% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.87 UYU 597

$4.40 ฿147

237.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 UYU 2,202

$32.26 ฿1,078

70.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 UYU 558

$8.76 ฿293

58.79%

Cappuccino

$4.57 UYU 183

$2.83 ฿94.5

61.48%

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

$2.65 UYU 106

$0.90 ฿30.14

194.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 UYU 84.2

$0.47 ฿15.56

346.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 UYU 118

$2.55 ฿85.2

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 UYU 145

$3.83 ฿128

-5.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 UYU 45.19

$1.73 ฿57.7

-34.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 UYU 109

$1.47 ฿49.11

83.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.1

$1.51 ฿50.6

17.22%

Eggs

$3.98 UYU 160

$2.17 ฿72.7

83.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.11 UYU 566

$19.70 ฿658

-28.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.31 UYU 454

$3.34 ฿112

238.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.61 UYU 466

$11.16 ฿373

4.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 UYU 112

$2.85 ฿95.1

-2.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 UYU 86.0

$1.70 ฿56.9

25.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$2.19 ฿73.3

-20.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 UYU 126

$2.05 ฿68.4

53.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 UYU 80.2

$1.45 ฿48.57

37.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.38 ฿46.16

44.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 UYU 57.4

$1.07 ฿35.69

33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 UYU 78.3

$0.51 ฿16.91

282.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.51 UYU 221

$4.26 ฿142

29.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.13 UYU 326

$18.58 ฿621

-56.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 UYU 93.3

$1.78 ฿59.7

30.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 UYU 109

$2.85 ฿95.2

-4.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 UYU 56.8

$2.26 ฿75.6

-37.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.89 UYU 1,962

$22.10 ฿738

121.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 UYU 136

$3.01 ฿101

12.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 UYU 17.53

$1.06 ฿35.34

-58.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.25 UYU 411

$3.86 ฿129

165.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 UYU 89.9

$1.45 ฿48.45

54.48%

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

$26.6K UYU 1.1M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

1.13%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

37.24%

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

$116 UYU 4,644

$96.4 ฿3,221

20.05%

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

$19.18 UYU 770

$11.04 ฿369

73.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.04 UYU 1,808

$17.14 ฿573

162.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.23 UYU 1,936

$52.2 ฿1,744

-7.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.20 UYU 1,212

$11.16 ฿373

170.61%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 UYU 484

$7.81 ฿261

54.29%

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

$496 UYU 19.9K

$556 ฿18.6K

-10.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,515 UYU 261.5K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-43.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.3 UYU 3,625

$64.2 ฿2,146

40.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.34 UYU 1,498

$28.69 ฿959

30.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 UYU 5,014

$95.4 ฿3,187

31.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 UYU 4,729

$88.0 ฿2,940

33.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 UYU 17.1K

$737 ฿24.6K

-42.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 UYU 12.7K

$462 ฿15.5K

-31.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 UYU 36.9K

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-56.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$601 UYU 24.1K

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-49.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,803 UYU 112.5K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-19.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,541 UYU 61.8K

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-38.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,014 UYU 40.7K

$501 ฿16.7K

102.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-10.23%

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

Last update for Maldonado: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Maldonado

$317 23.2%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 15.2% $48

Accommodation & Living

Maldonado

$315 23.1%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 46.6% $147

Eating Out

Maldonado

$257 18.8%

Phuket

$121 10% 52.7% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maldonado

$180 13.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 30.8% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Maldonado

$167 12.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 25.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Maldonado

$72 5.3%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 6.3% $4.5

Getting Around

Maldonado

$60 4.4%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 34.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Maldonado and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 103% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Maldonado vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Maldonado

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

08:43 8:43 AM

18:43 6:43 PM

10 h ahead of Maldonado

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,592

79,308

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maldonado Phuket 15,960 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Maldonado
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Maldonado vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maldonado and Phuket differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,208 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 103% higher in Maldonado, 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: $426 in Maldonado versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $496 in Maldonado versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Maldonado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,368 in Maldonado, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Maldonado. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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, Maldonado 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.