Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cienfuegos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cienfuegos

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Phuket vs $1,184 in Cienfuegos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,089 per month in Phuket vs $1,710 in Cienfuegos, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,913 per month in Phuket vs $2,235 in Cienfuegos, rent included.

Phuket costs about 7% more than Cienfuegos, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Phuket and Cienfuegos are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Cienfuegos 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿153

$9.81 CUP 235

-52.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,057

$31.31 CUP 751

2.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿285

$6.09 CUP 146

42.53%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.1

$2.34 CUP 56.1

23.93%

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

$0.84 ฿27.69

$5.01 CUP 120

-83.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.05

$1.05 CUP 25.20

-53.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿81.5

$0.98 CUP 23.48

153.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿122

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿61.9

$1.95 CUP 46.77

-3.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.21

$0.72 CUP 17.39

95.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.2

$1.53 CUP 36.83

5.88%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿73.5

$3.77 CUP 90.5

-40.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿651

$3.96 CUP 95.1

401.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$3.55 CUP 85.3

-1.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿373

$6.98 CUP 167

62.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.1

$4.49 CUP 108

-35.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.16 CUP 27.83

48.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.6

$1.36 CUP 32.70

66.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.0

$1.66 CUP 39.79

28.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.38

$1.60 CUP 38.29

-8.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.59

$1.97 CUP 47.16

-27.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.00

$0.71 CUP 17.10

54.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.62

$0.77 CUP 18.57

-22.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿141

$2.42 CUP 58.0

78.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿610

$6.76 CUP 162

175.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.1

$1.87 CUP 44.80

-3.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿97.3

$1.93 CUP 46.22

53.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿73.7

$0.37 CUP 8.81

508.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿771

$19.82 CUP 476

18.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.02 CUP 24.40

203.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.31

$0.52 CUP 12.56

107.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿127

$13.76 CUP 330

-71.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿46.83

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

$27.8K ฿911.7K

$49.5K CUP 1.2M

-43.91%

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

$27.0K ฿885.3K

$63.0K CUP 1.5M

-57.14%

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

$105 ฿3,438

$34.40 CUP 826

204.65%

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

$11.39 ฿374

$39.28 CUP 943

-71.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿576

$254 CUP 6,102

-93.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,783

$39.71 CUP 953

36.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿375

$9.86 CUP 237

16.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿255

$1.02 CUP 24.55

662.75%

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

$576 ฿18.9K

$109 CUP 2,620

428.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿380.0K

$10.1K CUP 241.7K

15.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,088

$35.07 CUP 842

81.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿955

$27.02 CUP 648

7.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,157

$57.8 CUP 1,388

66.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,953

$53.4 CUP 1,282

68.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.1K

$354 CUP 8,500

107.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.4K

$363 CUP 8,722

37.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿69.7K

$1,022 CUP 24.5K

107.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.1K

$605 CUP 14.5K

107.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿115.9K

$343 CUP 8,225

931.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.0K

$242 CUP 5,804

984.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$37.81 CUP 908

1242.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

6.67

-16.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cienfuegos: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $733 in Phuket versus $354 in Cienfuegos. 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 1242% higher in Phuket, 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 $31.00 in Cienfuegos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $189 – making Cienfuegos 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 Cienfuegos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,265 in Phuket, $1,184 in Cienfuegos – roughly 7% apart. Phuket costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Phuket and $1,777 in Cienfuegos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 19% less in Cienfuegos. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $576 per month in Phuket and $109 in Cienfuegos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cienfuegos, where all-in costs run around $1,184, than in Phuket at $1,265. In Cienfuegos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,184 in Cienfuegos to $1,265 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Cienfuegos. 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.