Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and El Calafate Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and El Calafate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $960 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,586 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,211 in El Calafate.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than El Calafate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, El Calafate 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.59 ARS 14.8K

-56.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$33.12 ARS 46.2K

41.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.81 ARS 12.3K

0.34%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.77 ARS 3,863

8.30%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.73 ARS 2,408

-57.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.48 ARS 2,072

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.06 ARS 2,867

18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.93 ARS 4,085

23.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.25 ARS 1,747

80.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.59 ARS 2,217

15.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$2.00 ARS 2,797

12.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.24 ARS 3,129

3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.17 ARS 14.2K

93.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.11 ARS 8,526

-40.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.15 ARS 12.8K

43.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.93 ARS 2,693

75.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.06 ARS 2,868

-20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.27 ARS 1,770

89.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.63 ARS 3,663

-22.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.19 ARS 1,664

31.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.25 ARS 1,739

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.28 ARS 1,785

-20.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.44 ARS 2,014

-65.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.11 ARS 4,339

43.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.01 ARS 6,992

276.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.01 ARS 2,802

-11.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.19 ARS 4,452

-13.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.82 ARS 1,142

70.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.54 ARS 2,152

102.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.91 ARS 1,275

9.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.86 ARS 8,170

140.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.11 ARS 1,545

21.62%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.8K ARS 38.8M

-2.22%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.7K ARS 42.8M

7.33%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$67.1 ARS 93.6K

86.29%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$16.89 ARS 23.6K

-19.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$22.86 ARS 31.9K

-18.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$25.71 ARS 35.9K

139.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$13.93 ARS 19.4K

20.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.24 ARS 8,704

47.28%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$221 ARS 308.0K

216.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,726 ARS 3.8M

472.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$74.4 ARS 103.9K

-22.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$70.2 ARS 97.9K

-49.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$114 ARS 158.8K

-0.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$113 ARS 158.1K

-23.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$342 ARS 477.7K

79.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$241 ARS 336.7K

84.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$686 ARS 957.6K

198.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$541 ARS 754.9K

175.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,839 ARS 2.6M

105.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,613 ARS 2.3M

64.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

58.5

-90.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $342 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in El Calafate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $229 per month, with El Calafate 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 El Calafate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and El Calafate differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $960 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,441 in El Calafate to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $342 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $221 in El Calafate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Calafate – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $960 in El Calafate versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Calafate but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes El Calafate 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 El Calafate 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 El Calafate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.