Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arecibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,281 in Arecibo, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. The total is higher in Arecibo despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Arecibo
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Arecibo Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Arecibo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Arecibo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,281 in Arecibo.

Phuket $1,207
Arecibo $1,281

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,005 in Arecibo.

Phuket $2,037
Arecibo $2,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $2,730 in Arecibo.

Phuket $2,867
Arecibo $2,730

Living in Phuket costs roughly 6% less than in Arecibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Arecibo 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$12.13 $12.13

-62.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$81.2 $81.2

-60.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$8.55 $8.55

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$3.42 $3.42

-20.47%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.90 $1.90

-50.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.50 $1.50

-67.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$3.05 $3.05

-15.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$5.09 $5.09

-24.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.79 $1.79

-2.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$3.36 $3.36

-57.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.94 $1.94

-21.13%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$4.48 $4.48

-51.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$12.78 $12.78

49.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$9.48 $9.48

-65.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$13.47 $13.47

-17.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$4.97 $4.97

-40.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.59 $2.59

-35.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$4.81 $4.81

-52.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$4.84 $4.84

-55.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$3.69 $3.69

-58.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$3.99 $3.99

-65.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$3.53 $3.53

-68.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.60 $1.60

-65.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$11.98 $11.98

-64.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$15.87 $15.87

14.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$3.09 $3.09

-43.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$4.06 $4.06

-31.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$40.63 $40.63

-45.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.54 $2.54

14.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.46 $1.46

-30.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$41.96 $41.96

-90.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.91 $0.91

63.74%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$40.4K $40.4K

-33.93%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$28.2K $28.2K

-5.12%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$324 $324

-69.36%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$68.1 $68.1

-83.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$66.1 $66.1

-73.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$10.59 $10.59

-28.52%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$833 $833

-33.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$12.6K $12.6K

-8.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$56.1 $56.1

12.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$61.5 $61.5

-53.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$109 $109

-11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$114 $114

-22.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$1,191 $1,191

-58.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.55

-14.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Arecibo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Arecibo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Arecibo

$395 30.8% 47.6% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Arecibo

$459 35.8% 258% $330

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Arecibo

$153 12% 23.5% $29

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Arecibo

$203 15.8% 67.1% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Arecibo

$21 * 1.7% 68.6% $46

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Arecibo

$50 * 3.9% 29.8% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Arecibo pays 142% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $81.0 in Arecibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $395 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇷 Arecibo

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

19:34 7:34 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

39,634

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Arecibo 16,660 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Arecibo

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

Phuket vs Arecibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 142% lower in Arecibo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Arecibo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $81.0 in Arecibo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,281 in Arecibo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Arecibo. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arecibo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Arecibo 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 6% less than in Arecibo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.