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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $950 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,580 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,211 in El Calafate.

Living in Phuket is roughly 33% more expensive than in El Calafate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, El Calafate 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.36 ARS 15.4K

-56.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$33.48 ARS 49.7K

36.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$8.79 ARS 13.1K

-0.34%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.68 ARS 3,977

10.82%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.65 ARS 2,457

-58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.49 ARS 2,216

-73.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.10 ARS 3,117

20.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.07 ARS 4,566

22.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.25 ARS 1,860

72.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.58 ARS 2,344

15.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.98 ARS 2,936

10.10%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.16 ARS 3,205

4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.01 ARS 14.9K

99.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.11 ARS 9,072

-40.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$9.22 ARS 13.7K

47.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.94 ARS 2,875

67.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.05 ARS 3,039

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.31 ARS 1,950

77.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.61 ARS 3,868

-20.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.18 ARS 1,755

31.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.25 ARS 1,850

16.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.27 ARS 1,888

-22.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.44 ARS 2,139

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.12 ARS 4,628

39.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.93 ARS 7,317

276.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.99 ARS 2,950

-6.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.08 ARS 4,580

-13.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.81 ARS 1,210

75.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.51 ARS 2,248

109.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.87 ARS 1,287

18.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.05 ARS 8,978

129.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.10 ARS 1,632

21.82%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$27.6K ARS 41.1M

0.52%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$30.1K ARS 44.7M

11.02%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$67.4 ARS 100.1K

82.51%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$16.92 ARS 25.1K

-18.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$22.83 ARS 33.9K

-19.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$25.77 ARS 38.3K

135.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$13.89 ARS 20.6K

23.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.30 ARS 9,357

40.79%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$220 ARS 326.8K

212.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,670 ARS 4.0M

491.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$75.0 ARS 111.3K

-20.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$68.2 ARS 101.3K

-49.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$116 ARS 172.6K

-0.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$113 ARS 167.4K

-25.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$331 ARS 491.5K

87.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$237 ARS 352.0K

88.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$673 ARS 998.9K

202.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$535 ARS 793.7K

179.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,847 ARS 2.7M

87.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,557 ARS 2.3M

62.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $331 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in El Calafate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $228 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $950 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,425 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: $621 in Phuket versus $331 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $220 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $950 in El Calafate versus $1,264 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 33% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.