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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $735 in Piura.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,256 in Piura.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,778 in Piura.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than in Piura, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Piura 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.67 PEN 12.31

26.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$25.34 PEN 85.0

27.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$7.27 PEN 24.36

19.39%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.35 PEN 11.23

-13.43%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.12 PEN 3.74

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.72 PEN 2.41

-31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.34 PEN 7.84

5.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.00 PEN 10.06

24.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.46 PEN 4.89

29.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$2.64 PEN 8.85

-46.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.62 PEN 5.43

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.87 PEN 9.61

-21.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$10.80 PEN 36.19

83.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$8.86 PEN 29.69

-60.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$10.86 PEN 36.40

4.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.43 PEN 4.78

102.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.30 PEN 4.36

32.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.51 PEN 5.07

50.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.36 PEN 4.57

56.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.28 PEN 4.29

14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.73 PEN 2.46

94.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.91 PEN 3.04

20.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.37 PEN 4.59

-56.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$8.05 PEN 26.99

-46.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$11.37 PEN 38.13

63.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.91 PEN 6.41

-5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.91 PEN 9.74

2.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.70 PEN 2.34

221.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$21.26 PEN 71.3

10.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$3.16 PEN 10.58

-1.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$2.36 PEN 7.91

-54.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$7.58 PEN 25.42

-48.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.49 PEN 4.98

-4.03%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$22.3K PEN 74.8K

24.60%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$23.9K PEN 80.2K

12.84%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$42.21 PEN 142

148.28%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$8.82 PEN 29.55

29.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$29.64 PEN 99.4

83.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$2.46 PEN 8.25

216.26%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$200 PEN 670

188.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$2,379 PEN 7,976

386.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$44.11 PEN 148

44.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$13.58 PEN 45.52

114.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$60.7 PEN 203

58.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$75.7 PEN 254

18.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$236 PEN 790

211.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$132 PEN 444

278.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$407 PEN 1,364

422.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$401 PEN 1,343

212.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$3,896 PEN 13.1K

-9.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$554 PEN 1,856

-8.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Piura: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $236 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Piura for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $259 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, Getting Around. The 72% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $236 in Piura. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $200 in Piura. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $735 in Piura versus $1,265 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 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.