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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $745 in Encarnacion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,040 in Encarnacion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,335 in Encarnacion.

Living in Phuket is roughly 70% more expensive than in Encarnacion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Encarnacion 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.45 ₲20.5K

29.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$28.66 ₲170.0K

59.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$4.63 ₲27.4K

89.20%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.04 ₲6,145

185.58%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.47 ₲8,724

-53.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.54 ₲3,188

-27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.24 ₲13.3K

12.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.02 ₲12.0K

85.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.83 ₲4,935

159.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$0.46 ₲2,744

295.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$0.87 ₲5,145

150.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.68 ₲9,986

33.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.34 ₲31.7K

274.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.32 ₲19.7K

9.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$5.43 ₲32.2K

149.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.13 ₲12.6K

52.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$0.84 ₲4,981

95.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.87 ₲5,141

167.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.66 ₲9,863

24.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$0.84 ₲5,003

84.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.91 ₲5,408

60.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.59 ₲3,499

66.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.54 ₲3,189

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.52 ₲9,044

186.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.41 ₲32.1K

243.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.81 ₲4,826

129.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.52 ₲8,995

74.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.46 ₲2,719

208.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$34.74 ₲206.1K

-66.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.33 ₲7,918

138.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.65 ₲3,838

58.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.45 ₲38.2K

115.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.02 ₲6,037

31.37%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$13.8K ₲81.7M

101.78%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$26.3K ₲155.9M

27.02%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$45.41 ₲269.3K

170.98%

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

$13.77 ฿459

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$16.72 ₲99.2K

9.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$26.78 ₲158.8K

126.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$13.02 ₲77.2K

31.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.94 ₲35.2K

49.33%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$201 ₲1.2M

241.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$3,319 ₲19.7M

375.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$55.9 ₲331.6K

6.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$28.37 ₲168.2K

22.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$68.4 ₲405.5K

68.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$68.6 ₲406.9K

22.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$400 ₲2.4M

55.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$307 ₲1.8M

45.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$379 ₲2.2M

436.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$274 ₲1.6M

445.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,522 ₲9.0M

126.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,061 ₲6.3M

138.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$306 ₲1.8M

61.28%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Encarnacion: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $400 in Encarnacion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 61% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Encarnacion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $131 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 70% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $745 including rent). Encarnacion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $400 in Encarnacion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $745 in Encarnacion – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Encarnacion runs roughly 200% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $745 in Encarnacion versus $1,264 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 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.