Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Canelones

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,997 in Canelones, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,208
/mo nomad
Canelones
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,997
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Canelones

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

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $1,997 in Canelones, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,208
  • Canelones $1,997

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $2,195 in Canelones, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,027
  • Canelones $2,195

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $2,394 in Canelones, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,845
  • Canelones $2,394

Phuket is about 39% cheaper than Canelones, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Canelones is 47% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Canelones
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.40 ฿147
$14.97 UYU 601
-70.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26 ฿1,078
$50.3 UYU 2,018
-35.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.76 ฿293
$14.33 UYU 575
-38.87%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿94.5
$4.05 UYU 163
-30.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.90 ฿30.14
$2.72 UYU 109
-66.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 ฿15.56
$2.07 UYU 83.1
-77.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 ฿85.2
$4.62 UYU 185
-44.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$2.96 UYU 119
29.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Canelones
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.73 ฿57.7
$1.38 UYU 55.6
25.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.47 ฿49.11
$2.83 UYU 114
-48.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.6
$1.72 UYU 68.9
-12.21%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$4.44 UYU 178
-51.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.70 ฿658
$13.98 UYU 561
40.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.34 ฿112
$11.55 UYU 464
-71.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.16 ฿373
$11.93 UYU 479
-6.45%
Apples (1kg)
$2.85 ฿95.1
$2.76 UYU 111
3.26%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 ฿56.9
$2.76 UYU 111
-38.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.3
$1.74 UYU 69.6
25.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.05 ฿68.4
$3.20 UYU 128
-35.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.45 ฿48.57
$1.91 UYU 76.5
-24.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.16
$2.07 UYU 83.3
-33.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.69
$1.38 UYU 55.5
-22.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ฿16.91
$1.91 UYU 76.6
-73.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$5.49 UYU 220
-22.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.58 ฿621
$8.55 UYU 343
117.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 ฿59.7
$2.36 UYU 94.7
-24.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 ฿95.2
$2.83 UYU 113
0.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Canelones
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.26 ฿75.6
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.10 ฿738
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.01 ฿101
$1.91 UYU 76.6
57.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.06 ฿35.34
$0.40 UYU 16.04
165.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.86 ฿129
$10.60 UYU 426
-63.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 ฿48.45
$1.91 UYU 76.8
-24.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K ฿879.9K
$26.0K UYU 1.0M
1.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K ฿900.4K
$35.7K UYU 1.4M
-24.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Canelones
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,221
$191 UYU 7,674
-49.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.04 ฿369
$20.54 UYU 824
-46.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.14 ฿573
$45.11 UYU 1,810
-62.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Canelones
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.2 ฿1,744
$68.4 UYU 2,747
-23.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.16 ฿373
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.81 ฿261
$12.45 UYU 500
-37.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Canelones
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$556 ฿18.6K
$627 UYU 25.2K
-11.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿387.0K
$11.0K UYU 443.0K
4.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Canelones
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.2 ฿2,146
$102 UYU 4,090
-37.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.69 ฿959
$49.03 UYU 1,968
-41.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 ฿3,187
$111 UYU 4,453
-14.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.0 ฿2,940
$132 UYU 5,303
-33.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Canelones
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$737 ฿24.6K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$462 ฿15.5K
$878 UYU 35.2K
-47.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,095 ฿70.0K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 ฿40.1K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,488 ฿116.6K
$3,960 UYU 158.9K
-11.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,523 ฿84.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Canelones
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$501 ฿16.7K
$873 UYU 35.0K
-42.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.74
-2.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Canelones: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$462
Canelones
$878 89.9% $415
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$269
Canelones
$328 22.2% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$125
Canelones
$257 106% $132
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Canelones
$177 42.6% $53
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Canelones
$260 114% $138
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$68
Canelones
$93 37.7% $26
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Canelones
$3.9 * 90.1% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 74% higher in Canelones, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $50.0 in Canelones. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $328 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇺🇾 Canelones
🕒 Local time
22:05 10:05 PM
12:05 12:05 PM
10 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
19,865
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Canelones 16,080 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Canelones

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 Canelones: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Canelones cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Canelones is pricier by about 65%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $2,996 in Canelones. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Phuket and in Canelones?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,208 in Phuket and $1,997 in Canelones. That's a gap of about 65%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $556 per month in Phuket and $627 in Canelones. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Canelones?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Canelones at $1,997. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Canelones it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Phuket or Canelones more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Canelones?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Canelones makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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