Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pisco

For one person, living is cheaper in Pisco: $659 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Pisco
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Pisco Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Pisco

🇵🇪 Peru

$659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pisco

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Pisco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $659 in Pisco.

Phuket $1,294
Pisco $659

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,022 in Pisco.

Phuket $2,204
Pisco $1,022

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,385 in Pisco.

Phuket $3,115
Pisco $1,385

Living in Phuket is roughly 96% more expensive than in Pisco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Pisco 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$4.24 PEN 14.63

3.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,086

$35.46 PEN 122

-8.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$6.81 PEN 23.50

27.75%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.6

$3.28 PEN 11.30

-17.07%

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

$0.93 ฿31.28

$1.12 PEN 3.86

-16.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.79

$0.66 PEN 2.28

-24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$2.54 PEN 8.76

-0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$4.34 PEN 14.96

-16.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$1.63 PEN 5.62

6.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.77

$2.27 PEN 7.82

-36.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.25 PEN 4.31

20.00%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$1.35 PEN 4.65

60.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿642

$6.56 PEN 22.61

191.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.67 PEN 16.12

-27.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$6.48 PEN 22.34

68.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.9

$1.33 PEN 4.58

121.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.04 PEN 3.59

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.8

$1.39 PEN 4.78

57.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$0.55 PEN 1.90

285.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.03

$0.42 PEN 1.46

247.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.99

$0.92 PEN 3.17

48.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.17

$0.83 PEN 2.87

30.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.34

$0.90 PEN 3.09

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$5.73 PEN 19.76

-22.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿614

$9.34 PEN 32.21

95.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.6

$1.87 PEN 6.44

-5.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$2.42 PEN 8.35

19.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.66

$0.89 PEN 3.07

62.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,845

$35.24 PEN 122

55.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$3.56 PEN 12.27

-57.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.08

$2.01 PEN 6.95

-61.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$7.55 PEN 26.06

-49.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.70 PEN 5.88

-12.35%

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

$26.9K ฿903.7K

$22.0K PEN 76.0K

21.98%

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

$26.3K ฿885.7K

$29.1K PEN 100.4K

-9.51%

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

$97.8 ฿3,288

$43.25 PEN 149

126.15%

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

$11.29 ฿380

$15.95 PEN 55.0

-29.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿578

$11.65 PEN 40.18

47.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,297

$20.34 PEN 70.2

235.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

$8.67 PEN 29.91

25.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$7.14 PEN 24.64

4.06%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$309 PEN 1,065

71.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿631.4K

$13.0K PEN 44.8K

44.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,073

$52.7 PEN 182

17.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿950

$12.81 PEN 44.19

120.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,228

$46.75 PEN 161

105.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,919

$34.49 PEN 119

151.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$160 PEN 552

350.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$130 PEN 448

291.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.0K

$145 PEN 501

862.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.9K

$1,802 PEN 6,217

132.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.9K

$1,318 PEN 4,547

150.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$556 PEN 1,918

-11.60%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pisco: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Pisco

$130 19.7% 74.5% $379

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Pisco

$183 27.8% 31.4% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Pisco

$71 10.8% 43.9% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Pisco

$66 10% 46.2% $57

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Pisco

$122 18.5% 2.2% $2.6

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Pisco

$35 5.3% 58.4% $49

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Pisco

$52 8% 20.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $160 in Pisco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pisco pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $35 in Pisco. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $183, with Pisco cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇪 Pisco

🕒 Local time

06:35 6:35 AM

18:35 6:35 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

14,917

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.258 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.62 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.85 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.88 PEN (1 PEN = 0.258 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Pisco 19,140 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pisco

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Pisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pisco is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Phuket. 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: $721 in Phuket versus $160 in Pisco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $309 in Pisco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $659 in Pisco versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Pisco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pisco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.