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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,434 in Piriapolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,165 in Piriapolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,896 in Piriapolis.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 12% less than in Piriapolis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Piriapolis is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$16.39 UYU 665

-72.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$54.7 UYU 2,217

-14.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$10.55 UYU 428

-19.72%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$4.14 UYU 168

-26.81%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.15 UYU 87.1

-67.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.70 UYU 68.8

-78.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$3.15 UYU 128

-20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.73 UYU 70.0

111.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.00 UYU 40.41

118.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.39 UYU 97.1

-20.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.61 UYU 65.4

36.65%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$4.74 UYU 192

-53.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$13.69 UYU 555

46.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$10.81 UYU 438

-66.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$11.07 UYU 449

19.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.89 UYU 117

11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$2.31 UYU 93.8

-26.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.49 UYU 60.3

60.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.88 UYU 117

-27.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.93 UYU 78.4

-17.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.89 UYU 76.7

-21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.19 UYU 48.38

-13.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.44 UYU 58.4

-63.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.17 UYU 209

-17.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$7.02 UYU 285

167.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.74 UYU 70.4

1.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.00 UYU 81.2

38.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.95 UYU 38.49

43.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$40.79 UYU 1,654

-72.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.54 UYU 62.2

103.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.00 UYU 81.0

-48.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$9.85 UYU 399

39.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.91 UYU 77.3

-29.84%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$23.1K UYU 938.4K

19.58%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$30.4K UYU 1.2M

11.24%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$104 UYU 4,225

18.61%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$16.57 UYU 672

-18.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$33.38 UYU 1,353

-44.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$62.7 UYU 2,543

-1.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$8.09 UYU 328

113.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$8.29 UYU 336

10.25%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$60.0 UYU 2,434

1070.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$8,984 UYU 364.2K

76.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$57.5 UYU 2,330

3.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$40.57 UYU 1,645

-13.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$64.2 UYU 2,601

79.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$81.9 UYU 3,321

2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$677 UYU 27.5K

-8.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$461 UYU 18.7K

-6.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$1,081 UYU 43.8K

90.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$771 UYU 31.3K

95.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.68

-6.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Piriapolis: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $677 in Piriapolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $55.0 in Piriapolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $295 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $2,152 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: $619 in Phuket versus $677 in Piriapolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $60.0 in Piriapolis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Piriapolis. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,434 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 14% less than in Piriapolis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.