Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paso de los Libres Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paso de los Libres

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,250 per month in Phuket vs $984 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,284 per month in Phuket vs $1,593 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,317 per month in Phuket vs $2,201 in Paso de los Libres, rent included.

Phuket costs about 27% more than Paso de los Libres, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Paso de los Libres are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Paso de los Libres 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$10.46 ARS 15.5K

-56.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$34.11 ARS 50.4K

35.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$8.79 ARS 13.0K

0.57%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.74 ARS 4,052

11.68%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.65 ARS 2,436

-55.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$1.54 ARS 2,273

-74.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.17 ARS 3,212

11.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.07 ARS 4,538

23.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.27 ARS 1,873

77.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.56 ARS 2,312

16.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.97 ARS 2,907

14.21%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.21 ARS 3,266

1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.20 ARS 15.1K

91.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.26 ARS 9,254

-41.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.58 ARS 14.2K

36.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.03 ARS 3,003

59.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.06 ARS 3,051

-21.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.28 ARS 1,891

85.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$2.54 ARS 3,756

-20.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.19 ARS 1,760

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.19 ARS 1,757

26.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.26 ARS 1,867

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.43 ARS 2,108

-63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.05 ARS 4,507

45.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.09 ARS 7,519

259.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.06 ARS 3,044

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.05 ARS 4,513

-12.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.83 ARS 1,231

69.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$27.65 ARS 40.9K

-57.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.49 ARS 2,201

108.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.86 ARS 1,275

20.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$5.93 ARS 8,769

137.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.06 ARS 1,572

23.58%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$27.8K ARS 41.1M

0.02%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$30.4K ARS 44.9M

9.27%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$67.8 ARS 100.2K

80.59%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$17.44 ARS 25.8K

-22.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$22.74 ARS 33.6K

-17.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$25.91 ARS 38.3K

133.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$14.03 ARS 20.7K

21.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.34 ARS 9,363

43.06%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$222 ARS 328.5K

217.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$2,711 ARS 4.0M

482.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$73.0 ARS 107.9K

-19.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$68.3 ARS 101.0K

-48.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$115 ARS 170.7K

-0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$111 ARS 164.8K

-24.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$338 ARS 499.7K

85.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$234 ARS 346.4K

89.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$683 ARS 1.0M

198.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$531 ARS 785.1K

180.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,531 ARS 3.7M

37.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,406 ARS 2.1M

83.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Paso de los Libres: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Phuket versus $338 in Paso de los Libres. 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 $46.00 in Phuket versus $34.00 in Paso de los Libres. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $231 – making Paso de los Libres 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 Paso de los Libres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 27%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,875 per month in Phuket and $1,476 in Paso de los Libres. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $34.00 in Paso de los Libres. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,250 in Phuket and $984 in Paso de los Libres. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Paso de los Libres, where all-in costs run around $984, than in Phuket at $1,250. In Paso de los Libres it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Paso de los Libres – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Paso de los Libres. 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.