Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Piriapolis Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Piriapolis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,464 in Piriapolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,282 in Piriapolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,099 in Piriapolis.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 16% less than in Piriapolis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Piriapolis is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$15.18 UYU 610

-70.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,075

$62.4 UYU 2,506

-48.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$12.20 UYU 490

-26.80%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.5

$4.43 UYU 178

-34.54%

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

$0.88 ฿29.33

$2.68 UYU 108

-67.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.03

$2.00 UYU 80.5

-76.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$4.62 UYU 186

-49.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.65 UYU 147

1.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.2

$1.03 UYU 41.24

81.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.86

$2.66 UYU 107

-44.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.75 UYU 70.2

-11.43%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$4.88 UYU 196

-56.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿653

$14.16 UYU 569

38.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$11.89 UYU 478

-71.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$11.39 UYU 457

-0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.4

$2.79 UYU 112

6.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.70 UYU 108

-37.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.6

$1.85 UYU 74.3

19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$3.06 UYU 123

-29.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$2.14 UYU 85.8

-28.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.59

$2.23 UYU 89.8

-39.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.60

$1.42 UYU 57.0

-20.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$1.62 UYU 64.9

-66.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.90 UYU 197

-13.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿636

$7.32 UYU 294

160.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.3

$1.63 UYU 65.4

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.7

$2.14 UYU 85.9

29.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.3

$1.07 UYU 42.98

108.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿758

$41.02 UYU 1,648

-44.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.91 UYU 76.9

58.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.09

$0.44 UYU 17.55

131.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$10.49 UYU 421

-62.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.68

$1.98 UYU 79.5

-24.75%

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

$26.6K ฿885.7K

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

-1.96%

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

$27.0K ฿900.6K

$34.8K UYU 1.4M

-22.25%

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

$102 ฿3,414

$92.0 UYU 3,694

11.40%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$17.50 UYU 703

-35.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿580

$33.36 UYU 1,340

-47.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,735

$85.6 UYU 3,438

-39.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$10.74 UYU 431

-28.40%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$623 UYU 25.0K

-10.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.4K

$10.5K UYU 421.9K

9.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,100

$65.0 UYU 2,611

-3.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿984

$44.26 UYU 1,778

-33.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,266

$59.9 UYU 2,408

63.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,949

$73.7 UYU 2,960

20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$724 UYU 29.1K

1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$500 UYU 20.1K

-3.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.2K

$1,219 UYU 48.9K

72.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$872 UYU 35.0K

40.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

5.49

1.46%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Piriapolis: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $724 in Piriapolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $62.0 in Piriapolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $315 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Piriapolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,197 in Piriapolis to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $724 in Piriapolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $623 in Piriapolis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Piriapolis. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,464 in Piriapolis, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Piriapolis. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Piriapolis, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Piriapolis are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Piriapolis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.