Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cusco Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cusco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $692 in Cusco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,046 in Cusco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,400 in Cusco.

Living in Phuket is roughly 83% more expensive than in Cusco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Cusco 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.60 PEN 8.73

79.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$21.14 PEN 70.9

52.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.59 PEN 22.08

31.71%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.24 PEN 7.50

29.46%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.75 PEN 2.51

12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.34 PEN 1.13

44.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.12 PEN 7.11

16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$4.39 PEN 14.70

-15.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.29 PEN 4.34

46.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$2.36 PEN 7.90

-40.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.36 PEN 4.55

19.12%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$3.71 PEN 12.45

-39.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$5.01 PEN 16.81

296.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.52 PEN 15.14

-23.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.49 PEN 25.11

51.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.62 PEN 8.77

10.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$0.85 PEN 2.86

102.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.45 PEN 4.86

56.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$0.91 PEN 3.04

134.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.06 PEN 3.56

38.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.11 PEN 3.70

27.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.50 PEN 1.67

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.78 PEN 2.63

-23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.82 PEN 19.50

219.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.91 PEN 6.39

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$4.41 PEN 14.78

-32.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.31 PEN 1.05

625.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.75 PEN 5.87

77.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.97 PEN 6.61

-45.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$3.04 PEN 10.18

27.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.55 PEN 5.20

-7.74%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

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

$105 ฿3,462

$29.68 PEN 99.5

253.10%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$14.70 PEN 49.29

-22.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$45.60 PEN 153

-61.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$35.58 PEN 119

52.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$4.38 PEN 14.69

77.63%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$39.30 PEN 132

61.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$34.46 PEN 116

-15.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$55.4 PEN 186

73.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$73.4 PEN 246

22.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$149 PEN 501

390.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$177 PEN 592

183.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$358 PEN 1,199

494.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$271 PEN 910

361.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$3,931 PEN 13.2K

-10.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,777 PEN 5,958

47.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$447 PEN 1,497

13.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cusco: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $149 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 14% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Cusco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $192 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

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 Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $149 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $692 in Cusco versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cusco is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cusco are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.