Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pisco Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pisco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $683 in Pisco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,046 in Pisco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,409 in Pisco.

Living in Phuket is roughly 80% more expensive than in Pisco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Pisco 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.40 PEN 14.85

0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$35.60 PEN 120

-9.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.93 PEN 23.38

28.86%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$3.42 PEN 11.53

-15.20%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.13 PEN 3.82

-22.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.62 PEN 2.10

-22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.60 PEN 8.78

-9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.40 PEN 14.86

-15.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.63 PEN 5.49

14.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$2.33 PEN 7.87

-36.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.24 PEN 4.18

25.00%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.32 PEN 4.45

59.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$6.52 PEN 22.01

200.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.80 PEN 16.18

-28.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$6.56 PEN 22.15

73.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.35 PEN 4.56

120.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.02 PEN 3.43

64.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.46 PEN 4.93

51.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$0.58 PEN 1.96

272.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.43 PEN 1.46

253.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.89 PEN 2.99

50.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.86 PEN 2.89

31.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.93 PEN 3.15

-40.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.02 PEN 20.30

-29.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.94 PEN 30.18

113.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.96 PEN 6.62

-9.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.47 PEN 8.34

12.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.86 PEN 2.91

159.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$36.37 PEN 123

-37.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$3.99 PEN 13.47

-24.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$2.12 PEN 7.16

-51.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.23 PEN 24.41

-46.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.72 PEN 5.81

-13.37%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$21.8K PEN 73.4K

22.11%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$26.7K PEN 90.2K

1.05%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$43.76 PEN 148

134.16%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$17.39 PEN 58.7

-34.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$11.74 PEN 39.62

48.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$21.17 PEN 71.4

146.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$8.70 PEN 29.34

27.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$7.55 PEN 25.47

1.85%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$183 PEN 619

205.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$13.2K PEN 44.4K

-12.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$53.4 PEN 180

17.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$13.38 PEN 45.14

120.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$48.28 PEN 163

103.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$35.84 PEN 121

146.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$162 PEN 548

354.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$136 PEN 460

253.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$146 PEN 493

738.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,846 PEN 6,227

95.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,358 PEN 4,582

91.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$587 PEN 1,980

-15.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.94

-37.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Pisco: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $162 in Pisco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pisco pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Pisco. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $185, with Pisco cheaper for home cooking.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Pisco. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $162 in Pisco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $183 in Pisco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $683 in Pisco versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 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.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pisco 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 Pisco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.