Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Asuncion Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Asuncion

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $773 in Asuncion, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Phuket vs $1,184 in Asuncion, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,329 per month in Phuket vs $1,596 in Asuncion, rent included.

Phuket costs about 64% more than Asuncion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Asuncion are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Asuncion 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.28 ₲26.1K

9.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$26.53 ₲161.7K

71.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.71 ₲28.7K

78.98%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.88 ₲11.5K

55.85%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.82 ₲5,012

-15.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.49 ₲3,004

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.42 ₲8,664

69.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.92 ₲11.7K

93.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.84 ₲5,135

165.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.00 ₲6,094

83.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.99 ₲6,056

119.19%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.58 ₲9,607

39.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.81 ₲41.5K

189.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.13 ₲19.1K

15.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.76 ₲41.2K

100.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.97 ₲12.0K

66.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.72 ₲4,392

123.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.93 ₲5,673

159.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.65 ₲10.0K

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.06 ₲6,463

44.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.13 ₲6,856

30.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.55 ₲3,357

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.56 ₲3,396

-8.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.36 ₲8,263

224.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.37 ₲51.0K

131.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.72 ₲4,402

147.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.40 ₲8,515

93.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.44 ₲2,691

211.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$25.15 ₲153.3K

-54.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.60 ₲3,665

403.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.78 ₲4,751

26.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.61 ₲52.5K

63.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.87 ₲5,331

56.32%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$14.7K ₲89.6M

91.87%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.0K ₲146.4M

36.95%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$43.01 ₲262.1K

182.96%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.65 ₲83.2K

-0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$14.92 ₲90.9K

22.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$27.62 ₲168.3K

118.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$11.59 ₲70.6K

47.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.94 ₲30.1K

75.91%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$163 ₲990.4K

326.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,228 ₲19.7M

385.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$49.74 ₲303.2K

19.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$31.28 ₲190.7K

11.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$71.7 ₲437.0K

59.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$52.3 ₲318.6K

59.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$394 ₲2.4M

55.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$293 ₲1.8M

49.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$728 ₲4.4M

187.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$476 ₲2.9M

216.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,687 ₲10.3M

122.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,220 ₲7.4M

114.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$647 ₲3.9M

-21.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $613 in Phuket versus $394 in Asuncion. 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 27% higher in Asuncion, 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 $45.00 in Phuket versus $27.00 in Asuncion. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $149 – making Asuncion the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 64%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,159 in Asuncion. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 121% less in Asuncion. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $693 per month in Phuket and $163 in Asuncion. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Asuncion, where all-in costs run around $773, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Asuncion – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Asuncion. 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.