Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maldonado

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,368 in Maldonado, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Maldonado despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Maldonado
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Maldonado Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Maldonado

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Maldonado

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,368 in Maldonado.

Phuket $1,208
Maldonado $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $2,178 in Maldonado.

Phuket $2,027
Maldonado $2,178

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,988 in Maldonado.

Phuket $2,845
Maldonado $2,988

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Maldonado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Maldonado is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$14.87 UYU 597

-70.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$54.9 UYU 2,202

-41.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$13.91 UYU 558

-37.02%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$4.57 UYU 183

-38.07%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$2.65 UYU 106

-66.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$2.10 UYU 84.2

-77.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.95 UYU 118

-13.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.62 UYU 145

5.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.13 UYU 45.19

53.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$2.70 UYU 109

-45.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.77 UYU 71.1

-14.69%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.98 UYU 160

-45.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$14.11 UYU 566

39.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$11.31 UYU 454

-70.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$11.61 UYU 466

-3.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.79 UYU 112

2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$2.14 UYU 86.0

-20.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.75 UYU 70.2

25.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$3.15 UYU 126

-34.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$2.00 UYU 80.2

-27.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.00 UYU 80.4

-31.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.43 UYU 57.4

-25.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$1.95 UYU 78.3

-73.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.51 UYU 221

-22.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$8.13 UYU 326

128.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$2.32 UYU 93.3

-23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.71 UYU 109

5.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.41 UYU 56.8

60.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$48.89 UYU 1,962

-54.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$3.40 UYU 136

-11.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.44 UYU 17.53

140.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$10.25 UYU 411

-62.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$2.24 UYU 89.9

-35.27%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$26.6K UYU 1.1M

-1.12%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$37.0K UYU 1.5M

-27.13%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$116 UYU 4,644

-16.70%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$19.18 UYU 770

-42.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$45.04 UYU 1,808

-61.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$48.23 UYU 1,936

8.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$30.20 UYU 1,212

-63.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$12.05 UYU 484

-35.19%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$496 UYU 19.9K

12.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$6,515 UYU 261.5K

77.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$90.3 UYU 3,625

-28.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$37.34 UYU 1,498

-23.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$125 UYU 5,014

-23.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$118 UYU 4,729

-25.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$426 UYU 17.1K

72.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$315 UYU 12.7K

46.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$919 UYU 36.9K

127.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$601 UYU 24.1K

99.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,803 UYU 112.5K

24.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,541 UYU 61.8K

63.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,014 UYU 40.7K

-50.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.40%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Maldonado

$315 23.1% 31.8% $147

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Maldonado

$317 23.2% 18% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Maldonado

$180 13.2% 44.4% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Maldonado

$167 12.2% 34.1% $42

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Maldonado

$257 18.8% 112% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Maldonado

$72 5.3% 6.7% $4.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Maldonado

$60 4.4% 52.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $426 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 103% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $55.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $317 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇺🇾 Maldonado

🕒 Local time

19:26 7:26 PM

09:26 9:26 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

62,592

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Maldonado 15,960 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Maldonado

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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Maldonado differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,208 vs $1,368 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 103% lower in Maldonado. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $426 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $496 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Maldonado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,368 in Maldonado, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Maldonado. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 Maldonado 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.