Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lima Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,032 in Lima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,582 in Lima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $2,132 in Lima.

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than in Lima, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$4.44 PEN 14.88

-0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$32.44 PEN 109

8.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$7.27 PEN 24.37

23.25%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$3.15 PEN 10.58

-4.76%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$1.11 PEN 3.73

-30.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.63 PEN 2.11

-25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$2.71 PEN 9.07

-11.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$4.41 PEN 14.78

-14.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.63 PEN 5.46

11.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$2.67 PEN 8.95

-46.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.40 PEN 4.69

10.71%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.92 PEN 9.79

-27.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$8.55 PEN 28.68

131.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$6.03 PEN 20.21

-42.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$10.17 PEN 34.08

9.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$2.04 PEN 6.83

42.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.07 PEN 3.58

55.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$1.34 PEN 4.49

69.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$1.46 PEN 4.88

43.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$0.96 PEN 3.20

53.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$0.88 PEN 2.96

60.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$0.86 PEN 2.88

26.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$0.94 PEN 3.16

-42.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$5.77 PEN 19.35

-22.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$8.75 PEN 29.34

113.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$1.90 PEN 6.36

-3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$3.42 PEN 11.47

-13.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.74 PEN 2.47

205.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$27.55 PEN 92.4

-16.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$4.10 PEN 13.76

-25.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$2.13 PEN 7.15

-48.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$7.31 PEN 24.50

-47.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$1.72 PEN 5.76

-13.37%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$21.8K PEN 72.9K

26.15%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$25.8K PEN 86.5K

6.61%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$70.2 PEN 235

45.13%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$15.90 PEN 53.3

-29.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$25.63 PEN 85.9

-30.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$32.94 PEN 110

64.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$19.93 PEN 66.8

-45.01%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$7.30 PEN 24.48

7.53%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$180 PEN 604

220.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$13.6K PEN 45.7K

-14.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$53.1 PEN 178

23.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$35.18 PEN 118

-17.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$85.5 PEN 286

15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$81.0 PEN 272

11.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$756 PEN 2,533

-0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$342 PEN 1,146

42.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$1,264 PEN 4,238

64.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$646 PEN 2,167

86.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$2,374 PEN 7,958

51.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$1,398 PEN 4,687

86.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$619 PEN 2,077

-18.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.94

-37.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Lima: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $756 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $229 per month, with Lima 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 Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Lima differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,032 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Lima. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Phuket versus $756 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $180 in Lima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,032 in Lima versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lima 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 Lima 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 Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.