Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ayutuxtepeque

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayutuxtepeque: $958 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Ayutuxtepeque
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Ayutuxtepeque Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Ayutuxtepeque

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ayutuxtepeque

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $958 in Ayutuxtepeque.

Phuket $1,294
Ayutuxtepeque $958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,399 in Ayutuxtepeque.

Phuket $2,204
Ayutuxtepeque $1,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,840 in Ayutuxtepeque.

Phuket $3,115
Ayutuxtepeque $1,840

Living in Phuket is roughly 35% more expensive than in Ayutuxtepeque, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Ayutuxtepeque 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$6.61 $6.61

-33.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$29.49 $29.49

9.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$4.86 $4.86

79.01%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$3.60 $3.60

-24.44%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$0.62 $0.62

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$0.48 $0.48

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

$1.27 $1.27

99.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.02 $3.02

20.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.37 $1.37

27.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$1.52 $1.52

-4.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.02 $1.02

47.06%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$2.47 $2.47

-12.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

$7.68 $7.68

148.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$5.41 $5.41

-37.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$9.07 $9.07

20.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

$3.23 $3.23

-8.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$1.36 $1.36

24.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

$2.22 $2.22

-1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

$3.49 $3.49

-39.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

$1.62 $1.62

-9.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

$2.25 $2.25

-39.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

$0.67 $0.67

61.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.94 $0.94

-41.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$4.01 $4.01

10.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

$6.16 $6.16

196.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

$1.47 $1.47

20.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

$2.46 $2.46

17.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

$0.36 $0.36

302.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$5.86 $5.86

-74.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

$2.97 $2.97

-73.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$19.96 $19.96

-80.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

$1.23 $1.23

21.14%

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

$25.2K $25.2K

6.82%

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

$27.4K $27.4K

-4.02%

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

$95.4 $95.4

2.58%

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

$11.29 ฿378

$20.08 $20.08

-43.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

$35.34 $35.34

-51.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

$15.01 $15.01

355.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$4.88 $4.88

52.25%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$166 $166

220.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

$2,943 $2,943

538.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

$24.72 $24.72

149.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

$30.38 $30.38

-7.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

$120 $120

-20.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

$73.8 $73.8

17.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$147 $147

389.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$302 $302

68.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

$403 $403

383.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

$406 $406

244.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$423 $423

16.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.5

-34.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ayutuxtepeque: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Ayutuxtepeque

$302 31.6% 40.6% $207

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Ayutuxtepeque

$219 22.8% 18.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Ayutuxtepeque

$151 15.7% 19.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Ayutuxtepeque

$112 11.7% 8.6% $11

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Ayutuxtepeque

$127 13.3% 6.6% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Ayutuxtepeque

$25 2.6% 70.2% $58

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Ayutuxtepeque

$22 * 2.3% 66.5% $44

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 $721 in Phuket and $147 in Ayutuxtepeque. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 16% 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 in Phuket vs $29 in Ayutuxtepeque for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $219 per month, with Ayutuxtepeque cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇻 Ayutuxtepeque

🕒 Local time

09:53 9:53 AM

20:53 8:53 PM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

60,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Ayutuxtepeque 17,470 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ayutuxtepeque

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 Ayutuxtepeque: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ayutuxtepeque wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ayutuxtepeque the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Phuket, 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: $721 in Phuket versus $147 in Ayutuxtepeque. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $166 in Ayutuxtepeque. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ayutuxtepeque – a meal for two runs $29 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Ayutuxtepeque is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Ayutuxtepeque wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.