Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maldonado Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maldonado

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,299 in Maldonado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,116 in Maldonado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,933 in Maldonado.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 4% less than in Maldonado, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Maldonado 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$16.01 UYU 643

-71.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$54.5 UYU 2,190

-15.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$11.04 UYU 444

-19.93%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$4.19 UYU 168

-26.97%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$2.16 UYU 86.7

-66.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.71 UYU 68.8

-76.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.43 UYU 97.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.65 UYU 147

3.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.13 UYU 45.31

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.79 UYU 112

-35.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.60 UYU 64.3

40.62%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$4.75 UYU 191

-52.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$13.69 UYU 550

42.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$10.71 UYU 430

-65.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$10.87 UYU 437

20.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.20 UYU 88.5

46.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.40 UYU 96.6

-32.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.54 UYU 62.1

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$3.49 UYU 140

-41.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.79 UYU 71.8

-14.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.96 UYU 78.8

-23.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.24 UYU 49.67

-20.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$1.59 UYU 64.0

-67.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$5.29 UYU 213

-16.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.04 UYU 323

127.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.96 UYU 78.7

-5.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.67 UYU 107

0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.38 UYU 55.3

2.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$44.18 UYU 1,776

-73.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.44 UYU 57.8

115.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$2.09 UYU 84.1

-50.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$11.21 UYU 450

25.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.83 UYU 73.4

-28.42%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$34.6K UYU 1.4M

-19.63%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$36.6K UYU 1.5M

-9.18%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$155 UYU 6,218

-20.86%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$16.47 UYU 662

-17.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$42.44 UYU 1,705

-55.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$46.40 UYU 1,865

30.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$29.58 UYU 1,189

-42.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.91 UYU 318

14.66%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$492 UYU 19.8K

43.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$7,401 UYU 297.4K

113.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$86.6 UYU 3,479

-32.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$47.65 UYU 1,915

-25.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$88.5 UYU 3,557

30.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$93.1 UYU 3,743

-10.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$370 UYU 14.9K

68.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$282 UYU 11.3K

57.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$886 UYU 35.6K

130.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$620 UYU 24.9K

140.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,511 UYU 60.7K

130.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,306 UYU 52.5K

97.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$861 UYU 34.6K

-41.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.68

-6.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Maldonado: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $370 in Maldonado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Maldonado pays 72% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $54.0 in Maldonado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $305 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 Maldonado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Maldonado differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $1,299 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 72% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $370 in Maldonado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $492 in Maldonado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Maldonado. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,299 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 4% less than in Maldonado. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.