Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Piura Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Piura

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $619 in Piura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,023 in Piura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,427 in Piura.

Living in Phuket is roughly 104% more expensive than in Piura, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Piura 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.81 PEN 9.56

59.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$10.89 PEN 37.05

318.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$5.61 PEN 19.07

56.15%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$3.28 PEN 11.15

-9.45%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.71 PEN 5.83

-59.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.53 PEN 1.80

-26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$2.29 PEN 7.78

10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.73 PEN 9.29

37.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.13 PEN 3.84

90.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$3.01 PEN 10.24

-39.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.36 PEN 4.63

60.29%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.04 PEN 6.94

10.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$8.18 PEN 27.82

144.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$7.19 PEN 24.46

-49.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$9.26 PEN 31.49

46.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$1.30 PEN 4.40

149.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$0.85 PEN 2.88

92.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.79 PEN 2.70

194.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.09 PEN 3.72

89.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.23 PEN 4.17

26.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.55 PEN 1.87

165.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.53 PEN 1.81

84.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.80 PEN 2.71

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$8.28 PEN 28.17

-47.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$11.24 PEN 38.23

65.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.83 PEN 6.21

1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.76 PEN 9.40

-3.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.43 PEN 1.48

230.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.72 PEN 5.84

84.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$1.60 PEN 5.43

-35.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$5.62 PEN 19.11

147.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.39 PEN 4.73

-3.60%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

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

$123 ฿4,116

$38.69 PEN 132

218.04%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$8.21 PEN 27.92

67.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$28.18 PEN 95.9

115.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$2.26 PEN 7.68

292.48%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$189 PEN 643

263.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$2,217 PEN 7,538

611.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$40.92 PEN 139

44.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$12.39 PEN 42.13

179.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$56.4 PEN 192

104.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$70.5 PEN 240

18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$140 PEN 477

343.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$127 PEN 433

250.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$331 PEN 1,127

513.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$385 PEN 1,308

288.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$3,745 PEN 12.7K

-7.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$540 PEN 1,837

-8.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Piura: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $140 in Piura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Piura pays 9% 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 Piura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $217 per month, with Piura 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 Piura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Piura is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Piura. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $140 in Piura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $189 in Piura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Piura – 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 $619 in Piura versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Piura but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Piura the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Piura 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 Piura 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 Piura gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.