Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Maracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracay: $735 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Maracay, Venezuela
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Maracay
🇻🇪 Venezuela
$735
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Maracay

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $735 in Maracay, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Maracay $735

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,245 in Maracay, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Maracay $1,245

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,755 in Maracay, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Maracay $1,755

Phuket costs about 74% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Phuket and Maracay are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Maracay 46% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Maracay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$4.93 VES 4,366
-9.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$32.44 VES 28.7K
-0.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$7.96 VES 7,056
10.68%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$1.62 VES 1,439
74.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$1.21 VES 1,069
-28.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$1.19 VES 1,058
-58.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$1.17 VES 1,035
118.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.96 VES 2,627
24.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Maracay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$2.68 VES 2,371
-38.06%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$2.33 VES 2,066
-37.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.03 VES 916
45.63%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.72 VES 2,411
-23.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$6.55 VES 5,807
191.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$5.59 VES 4,951
-40.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$8.14 VES 7,210
34.03%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$4.10 VES 3,636
-28.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$2.05 VES 1,818
-17.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$2.15 VES 1,903
4.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$2.27 VES 2,013
-8.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.32 VES 2,053
-34.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$2.19 VES 1,944
-36.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$1.62 VES 1,433
-33.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$2.27 VES 2,015
-77.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.52 VES 2,231
66.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$9.88 VES 8,750
90.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.13 VES 1,001
61.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$1.72 VES 1,525
65.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Maracay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$0.48 VES 424
202.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$20.18 VES 17.9K
180.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.02 VES 2,675
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$2.71 VES 2,398
-62.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$9.94 VES 8,808
-62.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$0.69 VES 610
113.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$25.0K VES 22.2M
7.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$39.3K VES 34.8M
-32.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Maracay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$12.72 VES 11.3K
657.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$11.71 VES 10.4K
-3.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$38.69 VES 34.3K
-56.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Maracay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$29.13 VES 25.8K
130.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$15.30 VES 13.6K
-29.87%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$3.97 VES 3,516
88.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Maracay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$75.3 VES 66.7K
531.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$5,991 VES 5.3M
88.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Maracay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$52.4 VES 46.4K
19.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$36.03 VES 31.9K
-21.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$82.4 VES 73.0K
14.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$95.0 VES 84.1K
-9.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Maracay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$221 VES 195.6K
224.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$108 VES 96.0K
353.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$571 VES 505.6K
237.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$274 VES 242.8K
422.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$445 VES 393.9K
839.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$198 VES 175.7K
1434.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Maracay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$209 VES 185.4K
140.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
21.5
-74.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Maracay: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Maracay
$108 77.9% $383
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Maracay
$264 0.9% $2.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Maracay
$63 49.3% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Maracay
$120 1.9% $2.3
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Maracay
$104 14.4% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Maracay
$37 54.9% $45
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Maracay
$39 45.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $221 in Maracay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Phuket are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $32 in Maracay. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $264 in Maracay – so Maracay wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇻🇪 Maracay
🕒 Local time
05:54 5:54 AM
18:54 6:54 PM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
425,606
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 886 VES (1,000 VES = 1.13 USD). 1 EUR = 986 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Maracay 17,470 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Maracay

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 Maracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Maracay?
Phuket costs about 74% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Maracay?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,102 in Maracay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Maracay?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Maracay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $221 there versus $716 in Phuket.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Maracay?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $735 in Maracay. That makes Maracay about 43% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Phuket compared to Maracay?
Public transport costs about 64% less in Maracay. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Maracay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Phuket or to Maracay?
If budget matters most, go with Maracay. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?