Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $656 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Iquitos

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $656 in Iquitos, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Iquitos $656

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $1,177 in Iquitos, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Iquitos $1,177

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,697 in Iquitos, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Iquitos $1,697

Phuket costs about 97% more than Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Iquitos are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Iquitos 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$4.23 PEN 14.56

3.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$37.33 PEN 128

-13.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$7.07 PEN 24.34

23.06%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$3.41 PEN 11.75

-20.23%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$0.83 PEN 2.85

12.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$0.59 PEN 2.05

-15.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

$2.92 PEN 10.06

-13.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.19 PEN 24.74

-49.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.69 PEN 5.82

2.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$2.26 PEN 7.78

-35.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$2.60 PEN 8.95

-16.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$3.21 PEN 11.03

5.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.91 PEN 3.14

-39.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

$35.08 PEN 121

178.82%

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

$11.29 ฿378

$11.15 PEN 38.36

1.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

$8.58 PEN 29.54

100.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

$29.56 PEN 102

131.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$8.89 PEN 30.60

22.83%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$5.63 PEN 19.37

31.97%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

$2,760 PEN 9,499

580.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

$87.4 PEN 301

-29.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

$34.33 PEN 118

-17.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

$52.4 PEN 180

83.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

$26.33 PEN 90.6

229.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$347 PEN 1,195

107.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$262 PEN 902

94.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

$858 PEN 2,952

127.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

$718 PEN 2,471

94.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$580 PEN 1,994

-15.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Iquitos: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $347 in Iquitos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 18% higher in Iquitos, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $37 in Iquitos. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Phuket vs $77 in Iquitos – so Iquitos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

20:07 8:07 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

32,853

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Iquitos 18,980 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Iquitos

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $983 in Iquitos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Groceries cost about 247% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $37 in Iquitos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $656 in Iquitos to $1,294 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.