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 $1,402 in Piriapolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,171 in Piriapolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,940 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 8% below, Piriapolis is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$15.82 UYU 629

-70.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$55.6 UYU 2,211

-15.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$10.63 UYU 423

-16.84%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$4.10 UYU 163

-26.83%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.26 UYU 89.8

-67.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.68 UYU 66.8

-77.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$3.19 UYU 127

-23.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.71 UYU 68.1

111.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.02 UYU 40.72

121.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.34 UYU 93.0

-21.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.57 UYU 62.3

42.68%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$4.53 UYU 180

-48.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$13.61 UYU 541

44.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$10.90 UYU 434

-66.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$11.05 UYU 440

18.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.77 UYU 110

22.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.25 UYU 89.4

-27.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.51 UYU 60.0

59.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.88 UYU 114

-29.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.90 UYU 75.8

-17.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.95 UYU 77.6

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.15 UYU 45.83

-11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.39 UYU 55.1

-64.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.03 UYU 200

-11.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.28 UYU 290

159.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.76 UYU 69.9

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.03 UYU 80.9

35.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.94 UYU 37.47

48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$40.18 UYU 1,598

-71.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.56 UYU 62.1

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.97 UYU 78.3

-49.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$10.07 UYU 401

39.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.89 UYU 75.2

-28.57%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$23.2K UYU 923.3K

17.12%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.3K UYU 1.2M

8.49%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$104 UYU 4,123

20.58%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$16.71 UYU 665

-18.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$32.98 UYU 1,312

-43.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$61.8 UYU 2,459

-0.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$7.86 UYU 313

114.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$8.40 UYU 334

9.40%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$59.0 UYU 2,347

1083.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$9,019 UYU 358.8K

72.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$56.9 UYU 2,262

1.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$40.88 UYU 1,626

-13.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$66.0 UYU 2,624

71.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$82.8 UYU 3,295

4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$680 UYU 27.0K

-9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$475 UYU 18.9K

-6.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,041 UYU 41.4K

96.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$771 UYU 30.7K

93.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,862 UYU 113.8K

32.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,870 UYU 74.4K

41.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,235 UYU 49.1K

-57.59%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Piriapolis: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $680 in Piriapolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piriapolis pays 136% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $56.0 in Piriapolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $293 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.

On paper, Piriapolis earns 136% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $680 in Piriapolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 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 0% higher in Piriapolis. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,402 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.