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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $523 in Pisco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $819 in Pisco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,114 in Pisco.

Living in Phuket is roughly 142% more expensive than in Pisco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Pisco 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.25 PEN 7.63

99.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$11.30 PEN 38.36

303.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$3.31 PEN 11.25

164.65%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.41 PEN 4.79

110.64%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.71 PEN 2.42

-2.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.27 PEN 0.91

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.90 PEN 6.44

33.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.93 PEN 13.35

-4.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.41 PEN 4.80

52.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.74 PEN 9.30

-33.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.35 PEN 4.57

61.48%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.97 PEN 10.07

-24.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.12 PEN 27.58

146.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.75 PEN 19.52

-36.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$10.75 PEN 36.51

26.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.06 PEN 6.98

57.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.12 PEN 3.80

46.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.10 PEN 3.73

111.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.20 PEN 4.09

72.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.04 PEN 3.53

49.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$0.94 PEN 3.19

55.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.82 PEN 2.79

19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.94 PEN 3.19

-48.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.54 PEN 18.80

-21.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.04 PEN 30.69

105.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.75 PEN 5.94

6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.03 PEN 10.30

-12.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.25 PEN 11.04

-2.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.16 PEN 7.32

-52.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$8.22 PEN 27.91

68.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.31 PEN 4.44

2.29%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$19.5K PEN 66.1K

42.78%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$24.9K PEN 84.6K

33.92%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$56.9 PEN 193

116.41%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$12.44 PEN 42.25

10.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$23.93 PEN 81.3

-23.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.89 PEN 23.40

28.74%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$218 PEN 738

216.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$7,940 PEN 27.0K

98.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$49.82 PEN 169

19.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$35.63 PEN 121

-2.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$90.3 PEN 307

27.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$90.3 PEN 306

-7.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,810 PEN 6,145

90.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,363 PEN 4,628

85.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$580 PEN 1,970

-14.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.11

-47.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Pisco: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Pisco pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Pisco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $224 per month, with Pisco 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 Pisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pisco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% 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.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $218 in Pisco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pisco – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $523 in Pisco versus $1,264 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 142% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.