Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arequipa

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $709 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Arequipa

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 Arequipa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $709 in Arequipa, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Arequipa $709

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $1,117 in Arequipa, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Arequipa $1,117

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $1,524 in Arequipa, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Arequipa $1,524

Phuket costs about 71% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Arequipa are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Arequipa 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$3.46 PEN 11.87

27.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$27.89 PEN 95.8

15.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.93 PEN 20.37

47.72%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.42 PEN 8.31

16.94%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$0.81 PEN 2.78

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.39 PEN 1.33

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.09 PEN 7.16

22.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.27 PEN 14.68

-10.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.34 PEN 4.61

29.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.36 PEN 4.66

8.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.45 PEN 4.99

4.14%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.29 PEN 7.85

-5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$6.25 PEN 21.47

215.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$4.59 PEN 15.75

-27.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$7.33 PEN 25.16

52.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.76 PEN 6.03

61.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.18 PEN 4.05

44.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.13 PEN 3.88

93.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$0.99 PEN 3.41

107.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.67 PEN 2.29

116.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.67 PEN 2.31

105.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.56 PEN 1.91

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.76 PEN 2.60

-32.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.13 PEN 17.62

-16.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$5.18 PEN 17.80

258.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$2.67 PEN 9.17

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.30 PEN 7.90

23.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$0.28 PEN 0.95

707.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$2.02 PEN 6.92

49.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$2.01 PEN 6.92

-47.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$13.01 PEN 44.68

-70.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.54 PEN 5.28

-5.84%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$18.9K PEN 65.0K

39.11%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$25.1K PEN 86.3K

7.18%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$23.36 PEN 80.2

312.59%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$10.26 PEN 35.24

7.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$23.44 PEN 80.5

-26.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$25.08 PEN 86.1

108.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$8.00 PEN 27.47

39.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$7.35 PEN 25.24

6.26%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$75.3 PEN 258

638.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$6,598 PEN 22.7K

75.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$47.74 PEN 164

34.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$26.42 PEN 90.7

8.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$67.6 PEN 232

40.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$57.5 PEN 198

52.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$347 PEN 1,192

112.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$237 PEN 813

95.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$719 PEN 2,471

191.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$419 PEN 1,439

186.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,963 PEN 6,740

77.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$989 PEN 3,397

155.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$619 PEN 2,125

-19.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-62.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Arequipa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Arequipa

$237 33.4% 48.8% $226

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Arequipa

$174 24.5% 35.3% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Arequipa

$57 8.1% 54.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Arequipa

$90 12.7% 27.8% $35

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Arequipa

$98 13.9% 19% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Arequipa

$40 5.6% 41.3% $28

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9% 66.5% $26

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $347 in Arequipa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Arequipa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $28.00 in Arequipa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $174 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

20:31 8:31 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

17,062

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Arequipa 18,570 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Arequipa

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 Arequipa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 71% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $1,063 in Arequipa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arequipa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $28.00 in Arequipa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Phuket at $1,208. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $709 versus $1,208 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arequipa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.