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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,410 in Piriapolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,171 in Piriapolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,933 in Piriapolis.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 10% less than in Piriapolis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Piriapolis is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$15.83 UYU 636

-71.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$54.9 UYU 2,207

-16.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$10.76 UYU 433

-18.59%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$4.22 UYU 169

-29.62%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.23 UYU 89.6

-69.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.77 UYU 71.0

-77.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.29 UYU 132

-23.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.66 UYU 66.7

125.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.99 UYU 39.83

117.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.41 UYU 96.8

-24.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.55 UYU 62.1

40.65%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$4.76 UYU 191

-52.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$13.75 UYU 553

45.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$10.93 UYU 439

-66.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.88 UYU 437

24.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.81 UYU 113

15.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.25 UYU 90.3

-27.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.57 UYU 63.3

48.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.91 UYU 117

-28.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.98 UYU 79.4

-21.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.88 UYU 75.7

-22.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.15 UYU 46.32

-14.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.46 UYU 58.7

-67.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.04 UYU 202

-13.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.11 UYU 286

161.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.75 UYU 70.5

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.11 UYU 85.0

25.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.93 UYU 37.58

52.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$40.80 UYU 1,641

-71.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.55 UYU 62.5

104.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.95 UYU 78.4

-47.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$9.89 UYU 398

40.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.91 UYU 76.9

-29.84%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$22.9K UYU 919.5K

21.51%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$30.6K UYU 1.2M

8.99%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$104 UYU 4,175

18.48%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$16.75 UYU 673

-17.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$32.85 UYU 1,321

-44.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$62.3 UYU 2,505

-2.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$8.20 UYU 330

109.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$8.27 UYU 333

7.26%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$59.0 UYU 2,370

1066.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$8,770 UYU 352.6K

79.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$56.8 UYU 2,282

4.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$40.58 UYU 1,631

-14.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$64.5 UYU 2,591

78.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$81.0 UYU 3,258

3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$689 UYU 27.7K

-9.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$471 UYU 18.9K

-5.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$1,041 UYU 41.8K

95.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$791 UYU 31.8K

89.04%

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

5.68

-6.16%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Piriapolis: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $689 in Piriapolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $55.0 in Piriapolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $2,115 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: $621 in Phuket versus $689 in Piriapolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $59.0 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 $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,410 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 12% less than in Piriapolis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.