Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Necochea Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Necochea

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,223 per month in Phuket vs $949 in Necochea, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,237 per month in Phuket vs $1,581 in Necochea, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,251 per month in Phuket vs $2,213 in Necochea, rent included.

Phuket costs about 29% more than Necochea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Necochea are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 8% lower, Necochea 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$10.31 ARS 14.8K

-56.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$33.84 ARS 48.6K

37.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$8.85 ARS 12.7K

-4.07%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.75 ARS 3,955

12.00%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.65 ARS 2,374

-58.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.55 ARS 2,224

-76.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.12 ARS 3,052

14.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.94 ARS 4,220

23.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.25 ARS 1,795

75.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.55 ARS 2,232

16.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$2.02 ARS 2,900

10.40%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.20 ARS 3,157

1.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$9.96 ARS 14.3K

96.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$6.31 ARS 9,071

-41.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$9.59 ARS 13.8K

40.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.96 ARS 2,813

71.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$2.12 ARS 3,043

-23.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.31 ARS 1,880

83.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.63 ARS 3,784

-24.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.19 ARS 1,705

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.20 ARS 1,719

20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.25 ARS 1,799

-19.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.42 ARS 2,035

-66.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.05 ARS 4,379

40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$5.15 ARS 7,394

271.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$2.01 ARS 2,882

-8.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$3.14 ARS 4,512

-12.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.82 ARS 1,174

73.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.54 ARS 2,213

94.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.90 ARS 1,298

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$6.07 ARS 8,725

129.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.10 ARS 1,574

17.27%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$27.7K ARS 39.8M

1.27%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$31.0K ARS 44.5M

8.22%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$66.3 ARS 95.2K

84.04%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$16.95 ARS 24.3K

-17.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$22.81 ARS 32.8K

-17.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$26.16 ARS 37.6K

134.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$13.58 ARS 19.5K

24.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$6.14 ARS 8,816

44.79%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$219 ARS 314.2K

216.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$2,745 ARS 3.9M

488.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$73.1 ARS 104.9K

-20.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$70.5 ARS 101.3K

-49.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$116 ARS 166.4K

-2.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$112 ARS 161.2K

-26.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$334 ARS 480.0K

81.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$240 ARS 344.8K

86.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$680 ARS 976.2K

198.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$538 ARS 772.6K

177.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$1,896 ARS 2.7M

89.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

58.5

-90.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Necochea: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $607 in Phuket versus $334 in Necochea. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Phuket versus $34.00 in Necochea. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $231 – making Necochea the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Necochea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 29% more than Necochea, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,835 per month in Phuket and $1,423 in Necochea. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Necochea, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,223 in Phuket and $949 in Necochea. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $691 per month in Phuket and $219 in Necochea. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Necochea, where all-in costs run around $949, than in Phuket at $1,223. In Necochea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Necochea costs $949 versus $1,223 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Necochea. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.