Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Encarnacion Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Encarnacion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $748 in Encarnacion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,046 in Encarnacion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,343 in Encarnacion.

Living in Phuket is roughly 65% more expensive than Encarnacion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Encarnacion 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.30 ₲20.7K

40.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$28.53 ₲178.7K

64.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$4.51 ₲28.3K

96.01%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.08 ₲6,766

177.78%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.47 ₲9,221

-49.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.49 ₲3,101

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.18 ₲13.7K

11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.04 ₲12.8K

76.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.82 ₲5,120

175.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.47 ₲2,930

291.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$0.89 ₲5,555

151.69%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.65 ₲10.3K

40.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.15 ₲32.3K

281.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.31 ₲20.8K

10.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.65 ₲35.4K

131.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.15 ₲13.5K

57.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.78 ₲4,905

110.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.92 ₲5,756

161.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.66 ₲10.4K

22.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.87 ₲5,425

79.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.86 ₲5,391

74.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.54 ₲3,413

88.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.57 ₲3,579

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.46 ₲9,131

204.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.74 ₲29.7K

298.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.86 ₲5,361

106.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.54 ₲9,635

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.49 ₲3,090

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$34.34 ₲215.2K

-66.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.31 ₲8,228

138.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.71 ₲4,421

40.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.42 ₲40.2K

119.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.94 ₲5,892

43.62%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$13.8K ₲86.5M

96.79%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.5K ₲166.1M

24.17%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$45.42 ₲284.6K

175.17%

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

$13.57 ฿444

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$16.79 ₲105.2K

10.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$27.51 ₲172.4K

123.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$12.93 ₲81.0K

30.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.17 ₲38.7K

48.95%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$197 ₲1.2M

255.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$3,271 ₲20.5M

376.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$58.0 ₲363.5K

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$27.45 ₲172.0K

28.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$67.1 ₲420.1K

68.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$70.2 ₲439.9K

23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$388 ₲2.4M

58.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$298 ₲1.9M

49.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$389 ₲2.4M

426.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$273 ₲1.7M

446.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,494 ₲9.4M

152.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,098 ₲6.9M

141.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$499 ₲3.1M

5.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.5

-43.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Encarnacion: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $388 in Encarnacion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 5% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Encarnacion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $130 per month, with Encarnacion 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 Encarnacion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Encarnacion differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $748 including rent). Encarnacion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 5% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $388 in Encarnacion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $748 in Encarnacion – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Encarnacion runs roughly 199% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $748 in Encarnacion versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 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 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 Encarnacion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.