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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $973 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,592 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,211 in El Calafate.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than El Calafate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, El Calafate 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$10.69 ARS 15.4K

-57.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$34.35 ARS 49.3K

35.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$9.11 ARS 13.1K

-6.81%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.79 ARS 4,007

10.39%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.67 ARS 2,394

-59.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.49 ARS 2,138

-75.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.16 ARS 3,109

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.93 ARS 4,205

23.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.25 ARS 1,790

75.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.63 ARS 2,336

11.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$2.02 ARS 2,907

10.40%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.28 ARS 3,272

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$10.23 ARS 14.7K

91.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$6.03 ARS 8,658

-38.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$9.47 ARS 13.6K

42.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$2.01 ARS 2,889

67.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$2.04 ARS 2,934

-20.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.31 ARS 1,877

83.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.55 ARS 3,658

-21.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.17 ARS 1,684

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.21 ARS 1,738

19.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.27 ARS 1,817

-20.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.42 ARS 2,040

-66.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.17 ARS 4,557

34.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$4.87 ARS 7,002

292.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.06 ARS 2,953

-10.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$3.02 ARS 4,340

-9.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.76 ARS 1,094

86.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.48 ARS 2,131

102.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.85 ARS 1,218

23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$6.18 ARS 8,872

124.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.05 ARS 1,507

22.86%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$27.1K ARS 39.0M

3.26%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$30.6K ARS 44.0M

9.49%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$68.1 ARS 97.8K

79.15%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$16.89 ARS 24.3K

-17.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$22.85 ARS 32.8K

-17.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$25.96 ARS 37.3K

136.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$14.01 ARS 20.1K

20.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$6.23 ARS 8,956

42.70%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$222 ARS 319.3K

211.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$2,722 ARS 3.9M

493.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$74.2 ARS 106.6K

-22.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$70.0 ARS 100.5K

-49.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$117 ARS 168.1K

-3.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$112 ARS 161.0K

-25.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$343 ARS 492.9K

76.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$234 ARS 336.0K

91.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$678 ARS 973.8K

199.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$545 ARS 782.5K

174.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,911 ARS 2.7M

87.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,616 ARS 2.3M

60.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $343 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in El Calafate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $230 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,223 vs $973 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,835 in Phuket and $1,460 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: $607 in Phuket versus $343 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $222 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 $34.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $973 in El Calafate versus $1,223 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 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.