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 $1,232 per month in Phuket vs $1,333 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,054 per month in Phuket vs $2,374 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,876 per month in Phuket vs $3,415 in Perez Zeledon, rent included.

Phuket is about 8% cheaper than Perez Zeledon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Perez Zeledon are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 10% lower, Perez Zeledon 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$9.47 ₡4,210

-53.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$37.63 ₡16.7K

-14.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$8.17 ₡3,630

9.30%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.63 ₡1,169

10.27%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.92 ₡851

-54.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.74 ₡771

-72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.73 ₡769

35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.11 ₡1,380

19.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.59 ₡708

17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$3.16 ₡1,406

-53.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.55 ₡1,133

-39.22%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.55 ₡1,134

-17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$10.72 ₡4,765

82.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.61 ₡4,715

-67.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$14.37 ₡6,389

-20.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.20 ₡2,312

-42.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.12 ₡499

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$4.70 ₡2,089

-52.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$4.04 ₡1,795

-46.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$3.86 ₡1,714

-60.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$3.76 ₡1,671

-64.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.45 ₡200

151.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$3.22 ₡1,430

-82.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.78 ₡2,568

-26.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$20.59 ₡9,151

-7.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.85 ₡1,266

-37.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$3.64 ₡1,619

-23.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.76 ₡336

193.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$2.51 ₡1,117

20.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.56 ₡694

-34.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.63 ₡3,836

-54.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.54 ₡685

-3.25%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.7K ₡9.6M

22.44%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$35.2K ₡15.6M

-23.18%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$95.8 ₡42.6K

7.01%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$24.16 ₡10.7K

-53.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$61.9 ₡27.5K

-71.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$72.9 ₡32.4K

-28.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.11 ₡3,606

-5.18%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$490 ₡217.8K

14.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$17.5K ₡7.8M

-34.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$71.5 ₡31.8K

-11.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$55.4 ₡24.6K

-46.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$133 ₡58.9K

-26.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$133 ₡59.2K

-33.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$402 ₡178.7K

83.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$330 ₡146.7K

46.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$2,142 ₡952.2K

-1.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,295 ₡575.5K

-5.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.78

-36.56%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Perez Zeledon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $738 in Phuket versus $402 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $38.00 in Perez Zeledon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $390 – making Phuket 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 Perez Zeledon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Perez Zeledon 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 $1,847 per month in Phuket and $2,000 in Perez Zeledon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, 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 $1,232 in Phuket and $1,333 in Perez Zeledon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $561 per month in Phuket and $490 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 Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Perez Zeledon at $1,333. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perez Zeledon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – 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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Perez Zeledon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.