Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Maldonado and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,345 in Maldonado versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,179 in Maldonado versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,014 in Maldonado versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Maldonado is roughly 7% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Maldonado 2% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.69 UYU 591

$4.56 ฿150

222.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 UYU 2,218

$32.62 ฿1,072

69.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 UYU 442

$8.90 ฿293

23.48%

Cappuccino

$4.53 UYU 182

$2.80 ฿92.2

61.79%

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

$2.60 UYU 104

$0.88 ฿28.93

195.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$0.49 ฿16.08

308.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.62 UYU 146

$2.39 ฿78.5

51.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 UYU 149

$3.71 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 UYU 47.46

$1.79 ฿58.7

-34.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 UYU 112

$1.44 ฿47.38

93.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 UYU 71.9

$1.58 ฿52.1

13.29%

Eggs

$4.03 UYU 162

$2.13 ฿69.9

89.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.37 UYU 578

$19.92 ฿655

-27.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 UYU 468

$3.43 ฿113

239.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.63 UYU 468

$11.33 ฿372

2.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 UYU 116

$2.95 ฿96.9

-1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 UYU 87.6

$1.72 ฿56.6

26.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 UYU 73.5

$2.32 ฿76.4

-21.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 UYU 127

$2.08 ฿68.4

51.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 UYU 82.2

$1.47 ฿48.33

38.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 UYU 80.1

$1.36 ฿44.64

46.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 UYU 56.4

$1.10 ฿36.12

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 UYU 76.1

$0.57 ฿18.89

231.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.45 UYU 219

$4.27 ฿140

27.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.01 UYU 322

$18.42 ฿605

-56.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.87 ฿61.5

20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 UYU 110

$2.92 ฿96.0

-6.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 UYU 54.9

$2.22 ฿72.9

-38.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.26 UYU 1,982

$22.90 ฿753

115.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 UYU 138

$3.03 ฿99.6

12.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 UYU 17.41

$1.07 ฿35.31

-59.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.98 UYU 402

$3.93 ฿129

153.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 UYU 78.2

$1.49 ฿49.04

30.20%

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

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

$27.1K ฿891.7K

1.21%

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

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

$27.5K ฿902.3K

34.81%

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

$113 UYU 4,552

$103 ฿3,379

10.04%

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

$16.99 UYU 684

$10.99 ฿361

54.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.82 UYU 1,844

$17.51 ฿576

161.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.71 UYU 1,960

$53.5 ฿1,760

-9.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.07 UYU 1,210

$11.20 ฿368

168.48%

Cinema Ticket

$12.35 UYU 497

$7.48 ฿246

65.11%

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

$492 UYU 19.8K

$557 ฿18.3K

-11.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,713 UYU 270.1K

$11.9K ฿389.6K

-43.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.6 UYU 3,647

$64.1 ฿2,106

41.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.96 UYU 1,527

$29.07 ฿956

30.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 UYU 4,900

$96.0 ฿3,154

26.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 UYU 4,693

$90.3 ฿2,970

29.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$427 UYU 17.2K

$730 ฿24.0K

-41.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 UYU 12.8K

$500 ฿16.4K

-36.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 UYU 36.6K

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-56.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$587 UYU 23.6K

$1,209 ฿39.7K

-51.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,008 UYU 40.6K

$503 ฿16.5K

100.22%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $427 in Maldonado and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 100% 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 $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $273 per month, with Phuket 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

Maldonado vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maldonado and Phuket differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,345 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 100% 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: $427 in Maldonado versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $492 in Maldonado 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 17% higher in Maldonado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,345 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 7% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.