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: $1,270 in Phuket versus $613 in Piura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,028 in Piura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,443 in Piura.

Living in Phuket is roughly 107% more expensive than Piura, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$2.82 PEN 9.71

65.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$11.01 PEN 37.86

321.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$5.47 PEN 18.82

58.68%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$3.36 PEN 11.55

-12.20%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.63 PEN 5.60

-57.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.53 PEN 1.81

-26.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$2.21 PEN 7.60

14.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.83 PEN 9.75

33.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.12 PEN 3.87

98.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$3.14 PEN 10.80

-42.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.41 PEN 4.86

55.32%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.11 PEN 7.26

9.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.28 PEN 28.48

133.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$7.04 PEN 24.21

-46.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$9.39 PEN 32.32

40.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.35 PEN 4.66

146.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$0.81 PEN 2.80

103.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$0.81 PEN 2.78

182.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.14 PEN 3.93

74.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.27 PEN 4.37

20.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.57 PEN 1.97

164.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.57 PEN 1.97

80.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.81 PEN 2.77

-37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$8.17 PEN 28.09

-46.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$11.04 PEN 37.99

75.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.83 PEN 6.30

-1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.83 PEN 9.73

-5.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.41 PEN 1.39

248.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.65 PEN 5.68

84.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$1.61 PEN 5.53

-35.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$5.50 PEN 18.92

148.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.40 PEN 4.82

-7.14%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

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

$123 ฿3,962

$39.62 PEN 136

210.37%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$8.40 PEN 28.89

64.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$27.66 PEN 95.1

121.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$2.27 PEN 7.79

290.75%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$188 PEN 645

271.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$2,219 PEN 7,634

623.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$42.46 PEN 146

39.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$12.62 PEN 43.40

176.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$55.6 PEN 191

103.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$69.3 PEN 238

22.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$138 PEN 476

344.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$126 PEN 434

255.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$334 PEN 1,149

524.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$386 PEN 1,327

287.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$3,692 PEN 12.7K

1.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Piura: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $138 in Piura. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $11 in Piura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $219 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 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $920 in Piura to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $138 in Piura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $188 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 $613 in Piura versus $1,270 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 107% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.