Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Porlamar Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Porlamar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $668 in Porlamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $935 in Porlamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,201 in Porlamar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 84% more expensive than Porlamar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Porlamar 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.54 VES 2,214

1.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$49.78 VES 24.2K

-5.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.83 VES 3,816

12.90%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.54 VES 748

94.81%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.63 VES 796

-54.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.79 VES 383

-53.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.33 VES 647

83.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.26 VES 1,101

59.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.66 VES 809

36.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.52 VES 741

21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.12 VES 546

100.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.03 VES 986

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$6.14 VES 2,992

220.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.36 VES 3,098

-42.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.60 VES 3,701

72.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$4.15 VES 2,021

-18.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.80 VES 878

-8.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.47 VES 718

63.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.79 VES 873

13.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.69 VES 825

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.52 VES 741

-1.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.77 VES 864

-42.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.98 VES 477

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.94 VES 1,433

51.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.59 VES 3,212

186.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.77 VES 377

131.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.58 VES 771

74.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.49 VES 236

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$5.03 VES 2,450

-37.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.94 VES 1,432

-65.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.52 VES 251

159.62%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

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

$125 ฿4,087

$29.69 VES 14.5K

320.95%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$9.93 VES 4,837

36.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$35.06 VES 17.1K

-47.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$50.4 VES 24.5K

22.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$10.08 VES 4,908

67.06%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$2.94 VES 1,431

212.59%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$198 VES 96.5K

211.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$202 VES 98.3K

120.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$399 VES 194.1K

848.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$152 VES 73.8K

1647.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$217 VES 105.8K

141.13%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Porlamar: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $198 in Porlamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 141% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $50.0 in Porlamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $211, with Porlamar 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 Porlamar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porlamar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 141% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $198 in Porlamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Porlamar – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Porlamar versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Porlamar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Porlamar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Porlamar 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 Porlamar 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 Porlamar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.