Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Mar del Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in Mar del Plata: $1,038 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Mar del Plata
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Mar del Plata Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Mar del Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Mar del Plata

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 Mar del Plata actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $1,038 in Mar del Plata.

Phuket $1,190
Mar del Plata $1,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $1,787 in Mar del Plata.

Phuket $2,006
Mar del Plata $1,787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $2,536 in Mar del Plata.

Phuket $2,822
Mar del Plata $2,536

Living in Phuket is roughly 15% more expensive than in Mar del Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Mar del Plata 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$19.74 ARS 29.9K

-77.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$60.3 ARS 91.4K

-46.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

-32.75%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$3.13 ARS 4,743

-10.22%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$2.51 ARS 3,813

-65.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$2.03 ARS 3,071

-77.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$4.06 ARS 6,151

-36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$3.02 ARS 4,585

20.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.08 ARS 1,634

58.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$2.20 ARS 3,330

-34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$3.16 ARS 4,785

-50.63%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$2.36 ARS 3,575

-11.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$5.86 ARS 8,885

233.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$6.65 ARS 10.1K

-48.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$12.52 ARS 19.0K

-11.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$3.32 ARS 5,030

-14.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$2.43 ARS 3,687

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$1.48 ARS 2,242

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$2.05 ARS 3,115

4.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$1.01 ARS 1,532

31.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$3.60 ARS 5,463

21.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$2.94 ARS 4,457

538.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$1.29 ARS 1,954

68.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$1.63 ARS 2,468

85.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$0.64 ARS 967

65.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$6.40 ARS 9,707

-42.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$1.36 ARS 2,064

5.15%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$79.0 ARS 119.8K

22.34%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$8.23 ARS 12.5K

38.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$30.10 ARS 45.6K

-43.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$31.31 ARS 47.5K

68.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

-24.03%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$304 ARS 460.4K

82.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$87.7 ARS 133.1K

-27.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$121 ARS 184.2K

-20.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$54.8 ARS 83.1K

61.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$328 ARS 497.2K

124.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$253 ARS 383.9K

80.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$801 ARS 1.2M

162.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$654 ARS 992.3K

81.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$610 ARS 925.5K

-17.92%

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: October 4, 2026

Last update for Mar del Plata: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Mar del Plata

$253 24.7% 44.7% $205

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Mar del Plata

$198 * 19.3% 26% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Mar del Plata

$117 11.4% 6.3% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Mar del Plata

$119 * 11.6% 4.8% $6

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Mar del Plata

$278 27% 133% $158

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Mar del Plata

$51 5% 24.4% $17

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Mar del Plata

$10 * 1% 74.6% $29

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $328 in Mar del Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mar del Plata pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $60.0 in Mar del Plata. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $198, with Mar del Plata cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇷 Mar del Plata

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

05:18 5:18 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

593,337

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Mar del Plata 15,890 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Mar del Plata

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 Mar del Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mar del Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mar del Plata the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Mar del Plata. 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: $735 in Phuket versus $328 in Mar del Plata. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,190 per month in Phuket versus $1,038 in Mar del Plata – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,038 in Mar del Plata versus $1,190 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mar del Plata but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Mar del Plata the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mar del Plata delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,038 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mar del Plata hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Mar del Plata 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 Mar del Plata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.