Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cajamarca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cajamarca: $706 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Cajamarca
Learn more

Cajamarca Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Cajamarca

🇵🇪 Peru

$706

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cajamarca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $706 in Cajamarca.

Phuket $1,278
Cajamarca $706

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,185 in Cajamarca.

Phuket $2,216
Cajamarca $1,185

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,664 in Cajamarca.

Phuket $3,154
Cajamarca $1,664

Living in Phuket is roughly 81% more expensive than in Cajamarca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cajamarca 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.25 PEN 11.20

37.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$29.07 PEN 100

11.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.67 PEN 19.55

55.38%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$2.84 PEN 9.80

-0.35%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.69 PEN 2.40

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.55 PEN 1.90

-10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$2.67 PEN 9.20

-4.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.54 PEN 12.21

3.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.36 PEN 4.69

22.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$3.12 PEN 10.76

-53.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.25 PEN 4.32

20.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$2.28 PEN 7.85

-8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$7.01 PEN 24.20

172.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.52 PEN 25.97

-56.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$15.82 PEN 54.6

-31.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$0.85 PEN 2.94

244.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$0.90 PEN 3.10

87.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.14 PEN 3.94

97.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$0.89 PEN 3.07

133.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$0.84 PEN 2.89

79.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$0.71 PEN 2.45

94.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$0.90 PEN 3.12

18.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$0.76 PEN 2.61

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$7.41 PEN 25.58

-43.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$11.68 PEN 40.30

60.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.53 PEN 8.74

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$2.66 PEN 9.18

6.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$0.61 PEN 2.10

137.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

$8.76 PEN 30.24

546.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.59 PEN 8.95

16.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$1.70 PEN 5.88

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$5.75 PEN 19.86

-35.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.40 PEN 4.84

5.00%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

$23.1K PEN 79.8K

15.85%

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

$28.5K PEN 98.4K

-6.36%

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$57.7 PEN 199

67.04%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$9.57 PEN 33.02

17.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$20.41 PEN 70.4

-17.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

$33.27 PEN 115

102.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

$17.16 PEN 59.2

-37.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$3.76 PEN 12.97

99.47%

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

$476 ฿16.0K

$146 PEN 503

226.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

$4,405 PEN 15.2K

155.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$42.92 PEN 148

45.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$28.76 PEN 99.3

-1.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$71.8 PEN 248

31.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$72.4 PEN 250

18.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$197 PEN 681

262.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

$114 PEN 394

330.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$530 PEN 1,830

263.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$317 PEN 1,093

351.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$549 PEN 1,894

-8.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Cajamarca

$114 16.2% 76.7% $377

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Cajamarca

$242 34.2% 9.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Cajamarca

$88 12.4% 29.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Cajamarca

$97 13.8% 20.3% $25

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Cajamarca

$102 14.5% 15.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Cajamarca

$41 5.8% 50.4% $41

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cajamarca

$22 3.2% 68.4% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $197 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $29 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $242 per month, with Cajamarca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇪 Cajamarca

🕒 Local time

14:31 2:31 PM

02:31 2:31 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

218,741

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Cajamarca 19,660 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Cajamarca

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 Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $197 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 85% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $146 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $706 in Cajamarca versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cajamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cajamarca are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Cajamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.