Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Perez Zeledon Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Perez Zeledon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,264 per month in Phuket vs $1,172 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,256 per month in Phuket vs $1,928 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,248 per month in Phuket vs $2,685 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

Phuket costs about 8% more than Perez Zeledon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Perez Zeledon are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Perez Zeledon 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$7.13 ₡3,197

-37.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$40.23 ₡18.0K

13.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.90 ₡4,438

-11.52%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.77 ₡1,690

-21.22%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.52 ₡680

-54.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.59 ₡714

-75.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.01 ₡1,350

-15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$4.60 ₡2,064

-18.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$2.01 ₡899

6.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.85 ₡1,276

-36.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.21 ₡992

-1.36%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.62 ₡1,176

-14.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.21 ₡3,681

143.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$9.16 ₡4,105

-60.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$13.92 ₡6,242

-2.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$4.52 ₡2,025

-28.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.03 ₡462

59.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$4.36 ₡1,955

-46.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$3.45 ₡1,546

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$2.83 ₡1,269

-45.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$2.73 ₡1,226

-46.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.39 ₡174

151.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$2.95 ₡1,322

-83.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.01 ₡2,245

-13.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$21.42 ₡9,604

-13.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.27 ₡1,018

-18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.53 ₡687

73.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.69 ₡308

105.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.88 ₡841

68.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.85 ₡831

-44.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$7.76 ₡3,479

78.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.35 ₡607

-0.74%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$37.3K ₡16.7M

-25.59%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$32.6K ₡14.6M

2.40%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$95.2 ₡42.7K

29.27%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$21.29 ₡9,547

-35.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$59.7 ₡26.7K

-69.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$30.43 ₡13.6K

99.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$23.89 ₡10.7K

-28.17%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$10.17 ₡4,558

-12.78%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$496 ₡222.3K

38.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$12.6K ₡5.7M

25.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$61.4 ₡27.5K

-3.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$50.7 ₡22.7K

-31.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$128 ₡57.2K

-9.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$109 ₡49.0K

-23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$337 ₡151.2K

84.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$262 ₡117.3K

70.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,516 ₡680.0K

34.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$645 ₡289.2K

132.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-40.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Perez Zeledon: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $621 in Phuket versus $337 in Perez Zeledon. 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 $40.00 in Perez Zeledon. Groceries tell a different story – $291 in Phuket vs $352 in Perez Zeledon – so Phuket wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Perez Zeledon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 8%, 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 $1,896 per month in Phuket and $1,758 in Perez Zeledon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Perez Zeledon, 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 $1,264 in Phuket and $1,172 in Perez Zeledon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $688 per month in Phuket and $496 in Perez Zeledon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Perez Zeledon, where all-in costs run around $1,172, than in Phuket at $1,264. In Perez Zeledon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Perez Zeledon – 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 Perez Zeledon. 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.