Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guaynabo

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,857 in Guaynabo, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Guaynabo
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,857
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Guaynabo

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 Guaynabo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $1,857 in Guaynabo, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Guaynabo $1,857

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $2,934 in Guaynabo, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Guaynabo $2,934

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $4,011 in Guaynabo, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Guaynabo $4,011

Phuket is about 30% cheaper than Guaynabo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Phuket sits 4% below the global median, while Guaynabo is 37% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Guaynabo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$18.91 $18.91
-76.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,090
$79.1 $79.1
-59.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿294
$9.02 $9.02
-3.55%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.9
$1.80 $1.80
51.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.39
$1.34 $1.34
-30.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.85
$1.22 $1.22
-59.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.4
$1.96 $1.96
29.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$3.97 $3.97
-8.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Guaynabo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.7
$2.22 $2.22
-21.62%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.95
$3.27 $3.27
-55.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$2.32 $2.32
-35.34%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$6.15 $6.15
-64.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿644
$12.38 $12.38
54.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿115
$9.66 $9.66
-64.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿368
$13.29 $13.29
-17.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿99.2
$5.18 $5.18
-43.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$2.51 $2.51
-32.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿74.0
$4.81 $4.81
-54.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.7
$4.67 $4.67
-54.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.21
$2.60 $2.60
-43.85%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.15
$2.03 $2.03
-32.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.30
$1.52 $1.52
-28.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.41
$1.61 $1.61
-65.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$11.17 $11.17
-60.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿616
$15.69 $15.69
16.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.8
$2.83 $2.83
-37.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿97.2
$2.91 $2.91
-1.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Guaynabo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.84
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,852
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.47 $2.47
-38.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.18
$1.54 $1.54
-49.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿130
$42.38 $42.38
-90.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.2
$1.02 $1.02
46.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿907.0K
$34.3K $34.3K
-21.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.9K
$27.4K $27.4K
-3.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Guaynabo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,300
$319 $319
-69.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿381
$49.62 $49.62
-77.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿580
$69.1 $69.1
-75.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Guaynabo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,305
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿368
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿251
$10.30 $10.30
-27.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Guaynabo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.9K
$817 $817
-35.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿633.7K
$12.4K $12.4K
51.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Guaynabo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,081
$57.3 $57.3
7.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿953
$50.1 $50.1
-43.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,239
$99.1 $99.1
-3.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,929
$114 $114
-23.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Guaynabo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.3K
$892 $892
-19.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.2K
$630 $630
-19.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.8K
$2,530 $2,530
-22.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.1K
$1,379 $1,379
1.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿141.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿111.3K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Guaynabo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.6K
$3,467 $3,467
-85.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
6.55
-14.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Guaynabo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Guaynabo
$630 23.9% $121
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Guaynabo
$386 44.7% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Guaynabo
$438 247% $312
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Guaynabo
$144 17.4% $21
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Guaynabo
$228 90.6% $108
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Guaynabo
$21 * 75.2% $63
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Guaynabo
$10 * 84.6% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $892 in Guaynabo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Guaynabo are about 7.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $79 in Guaynabo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $386 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇷 Guaynabo
🕒 Local time
03:01 3:01 AM
16:01 4:01 PM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
68,491
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Guaynabo 16,640 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Guaynabo

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 Guaynabo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Guaynabo compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,294 in Phuket, $1,857 in Guaynabo – Phuket comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Guaynabo?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $2,786 in Guaynabo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Guaynabo?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $721 there versus $892 in Guaynabo.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $79 in Guaynabo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 45% more in Guaynabo, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,294, than in Guaynabo at $1,857. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guaynabo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Guaynabo?
Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Phuket and Guaynabo?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Guaynabo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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