Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ayacucho

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayacucho: $474 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Ayacucho, Peru
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Ayacucho
🇵🇪 Peru
$474
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ayacucho

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $474 in Ayacucho.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Ayacucho $474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $766 in Ayacucho.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Ayacucho $766

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,058 in Ayacucho.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Ayacucho $1,058

Living in Phuket is roughly 170% more expensive than in Ayacucho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ayacucho 65% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Ayacucho
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$1.69 PEN 5.82
164.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$1.78 PEN 6.12
58.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$0.91 PEN 3.14
-4.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.30 PEN 1.04
63.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$1.47 PEN 5.08
74.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.38 PEN 15.09
-15.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Ayacucho
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
-
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
-
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$0.56 PEN 1.93
167.86%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.79 PEN 6.17
16.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$2.95 PEN 10.18
546.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.27 PEN 14.73
-22.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$5.66 PEN 19.50
92.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$1.18 PEN 4.08
148.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$0.57 PEN 1.96
196.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$0.60 PEN 2.09
275.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$0.56 PEN 1.93
271.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.30 PEN 1.05
403.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$0.30 PEN 1.04
360.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.28 PEN 0.95
282.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.88 PEN 3.03
-40.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$5.90 PEN 20.32
218.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$2.98 PEN 10.27
-38.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$4.40 PEN 15.16
-35.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Ayacucho
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$0.61 PEN 2.10
137.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$35.47 PEN 122
59.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.26 PEN 7.80
33.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.15 PEN 3.95
-11.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$4.31 PEN 14.85
-14.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.71 PEN 5.88
-14.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$9,956 PEN 34.3K
168.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$12.3K PEN 42.5K
116.65%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Ayacucho
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$11.47 PEN 39.52
-1.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$17.16 PEN 59.2
-1.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Ayacucho
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$14.48 PEN 49.91
364.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$29.41 PEN 101
-63.52%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$4.44 PEN 15.31
68.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Ayacucho
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$72.4 PEN 250
557.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Ayacucho
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$17.29 PEN 59.6
260.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$26.45 PEN 91.2
7.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$102 PEN 353
-7.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$103 PEN 355
-16.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Ayacucho
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$342 PEN 1,180
109.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$88.5 PEN 305
455.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$861 PEN 2,968
123.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$232 PEN 799
517.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$1,884 PEN 6,493
121.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$1,739 PEN 5,995
75.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Ayacucho
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$471 PEN 1,624
6.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
0
-

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ayacucho: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Ayacucho
$88 82% $402
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Ayacucho
$120 * 55% $146
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Ayacucho
$29 * 77% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Ayacucho
$112 8.1% $9.8
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Ayacucho
$56 * 54.1% $66
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Ayacucho
$23 71.6% $59
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Ayacucho
$46 35% $25

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $342 in Ayacucho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇪 Ayacucho
🕒 Local time
06:46 6:46 AM
18:46 6:46 PM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
99,427
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.261 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Ayacucho 19,020 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Ayacucho

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 Ayacucho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Ayacucho?
Ayacucho wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ayacucho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Ayacucho?
Average pay runs 7% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Ayacucho?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $342 in Ayacucho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and in Ayacucho?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $72 in Ayacucho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How expensive is transport in Phuket compared to Ayacucho?
A monthly transit pass in Ayacucho runs roughly 37% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $800/month in Phuket or in Ayacucho?
At $474 in Ayacucho versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Ayacucho but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ayacucho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Ayacucho?
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.
How safe is Phuket compared to Ayacucho?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Ayacucho are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Should I move to Phuket or to Ayacucho?
It comes down to priorities – Ayacucho wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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