Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Libertad Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Libertad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,059 in Libertad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,713 in Libertad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,367 in Libertad.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Libertad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Libertad 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$14.97 UYU 601

-70.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,075

$61.0 UYU 2,450

-47.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$13.55 UYU 544

-34.10%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.5

$4.52 UYU 181

-35.84%

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

$0.88 ฿29.33

$2.60 UYU 104

-66.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.03

$2.00 UYU 80.3

-76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$4.71 UYU 189

-50.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.83 UYU 154

-2.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.2

$1.35 UYU 54.0

38.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.86

$2.93 UYU 118

-49.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.79 UYU 71.8

-13.41%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$4.75 UYU 191

-55.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿653

$14.00 UYU 562

39.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$11.97 UYU 481

-71.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$11.41 UYU 458

-0.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.4

$2.83 UYU 114

5.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.94 UYU 118

-42.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.6

$1.82 UYU 73.2

21.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$3.07 UYU 123

-29.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$2.11 UYU 84.9

-27.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.59

$2.25 UYU 90.4

-40.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.60

$1.42 UYU 56.8

-20.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$1.94 UYU 78.0

-71.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.48 UYU 220

-22.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿636

$7.98 UYU 320

139.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.3

$2.24 UYU 89.9

-20.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.7

$2.76 UYU 111

0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.3

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿758

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.82 UYU 73.3

66.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.09

$0.41 UYU 16.42

148.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$10.49 UYU 421

-62.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.68

$2.15 UYU 86.3

-30.70%

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

$26.6K ฿885.7K

$27.5K UYU 1.1M

-3.37%

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

$27.0K ฿900.6K

$37.4K UYU 1.5M

-27.66%

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

$102 ฿3,414

$185 UYU 7,445

-44.72%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$16.97 UYU 681

-33.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿580

$45.76 UYU 1,838

-61.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,735

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$12.39 UYU 498

-37.93%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$631 UYU 25.3K

-11.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.4K

$10.6K UYU 424.5K

8.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,100

$97.9 UYU 3,932

-35.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿984

$56.0 UYU 2,249

-47.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,266

$121 UYU 4,872

-19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,949

$132 UYU 5,318

-33.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.49

1.46%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Libertad: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $61.0 in Libertad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $332 per month, with Phuket 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 Libertad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Libertad differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $1,059 including rent). Libertad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,589 in Libertad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Phuket pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,232 per month in Phuket versus $1,059 in Libertad – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,059 in Libertad versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Libertad but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Libertad 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 Libertad 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 Libertad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.