Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Encarnacion

For one person, living is cheaper in Encarnacion: $830 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Encarnacion
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Encarnacion Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Encarnacion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Encarnacion

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Encarnacion actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $830 in Encarnacion.

Phuket $1,278
Encarnacion $830

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,285 in Encarnacion.

Phuket $2,216
Encarnacion $1,285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,739 in Encarnacion.

Phuket $3,154
Encarnacion $1,739

Living in Phuket is roughly 54% more expensive than in Encarnacion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Encarnacion 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.42 ₲26.4K

1.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$34.62 ₲206.5K

-6.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.09 ₲42.3K

24.26%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.59 ₲15.4K

9.27%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.49 ₲8,876

-41.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.54 ₲3,240

-9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$0.96 ₲5,746

166.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.11 ₲12.6K

74.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.10 ₲6,540

50.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$0.92 ₲5,511

58.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.75 ₲10.4K

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.56 ₲9,315

33.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.17 ₲30.8K

268.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.28 ₲19.6K

0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$5.62 ₲33.5K

94.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.15 ₲12.8K

36.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$0.85 ₲5,053

98.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.86 ₲5,123

161.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.68 ₲9,992

23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.89 ₲5,321

69.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$0.88 ₲5,224

56.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.56 ₲3,325

91.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.52 ₲3,117

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$1.46 ₲8,722

187.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.62 ₲33.5K

234.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$0.85 ₲5,072

114.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.54 ₲9,193

84.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.84 ₲5,028

72.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$35.00 ₲208.8K

61.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.29 ₲7,680

134.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.72 ₲4,292

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$6.74 ₲40.2K

-45.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.19 ₲7,105

23.53%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$13.8K ₲82.6M

93.40%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$25.8K ₲154.2M

3.25%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$43.84 ₲261.5K

119.78%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$13.41 ₲80.0K

-16.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$18.79 ₲112.1K

-10.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$30.45 ₲181.6K

120.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$13.14 ₲78.4K

-18.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.08 ₲36.2K

23.36%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$201 ₲1.2M

136.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$3,299 ₲19.7M

241.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$56.7 ₲338.3K

9.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$28.01 ₲167.1K

1.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$69.1 ₲412.2K

36.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$70.2 ₲418.8K

22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$508 ₲3.0M

41.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$321 ₲1.9M

52.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$680 ₲4.1M

183.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$535 ₲3.2M

167.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,583 ₲9.4M

163.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,409 ₲8.4M

116.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$367 ₲2.2M

36.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.5

-41.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Encarnacion: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Encarnacion

$321 38.7% 34.5% $170

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Encarnacion

$141 17% 46.9% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Encarnacion

$76 9.2% 38.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Encarnacion

$101 12.1% 17.3% $21

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Encarnacion

$105 12.6% 13.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Encarnacion

$43 5.1% 48.2% $40

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Encarnacion

$43 5.2% 38.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $508 in Encarnacion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 37% 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 in Phuket vs $35 in Encarnacion. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $141, with Encarnacion cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇾 Encarnacion

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

07:19 7:19 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

127,600

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5,965 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.68 USD). 1 EUR = 6,656 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.5 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Encarnacion 16,550 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Encarnacion

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Encarnacion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $830 in Encarnacion, so Encarnacion is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $508 in Encarnacion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $830 in Encarnacion – Encarnacion is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Encarnacion runs roughly 38% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $830 in Encarnacion versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Encarnacion but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Encarnacion 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 Encarnacion are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Encarnacion wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.