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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $710 in Porlamar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,135 in Porlamar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,560 in Porlamar.

Living in Phuket is roughly 78% more expensive than in Porlamar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Porlamar 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.61 VES 3,828

1.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$41.89 VES 34.8K

-23.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$9.18 VES 7,622

-5.45%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.85 VES 1,536

56.76%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$2.04 VES 1,690

-58.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.29 VES 1,070

-62.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$0.99 VES 818

150.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.28 VES 1,890

63.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.68 VES 1,394

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.48 VES 1,233

-4.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.17 VES 972

38.46%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.03 VES 1,684

10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$5.84 VES 4,847

239.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.58 VES 5,467

-47.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.42 VES 6,162

53.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$4.16 VES 3,456

-30.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.78 VES 1,474

-3.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.48 VES 1,230

53.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.71 VES 1,420

24.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.67 VES 1,390

-11.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.56 VES 1,299

-8.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.85 VES 1,533

-40.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.98 VES 812

-38.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.07 VES 2,550

40.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$6.41 VES 5,326

190.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.75 VES 619

140.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.62 VES 1,342

83.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.43 VES 361

423.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$15.04 VES 12.5K

56.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$5.08 VES 4,218

-38.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.47 VES 1,220

-26.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.52 VES 431

175.00%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$20.1K VES 16.7M

38.09%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$35.0K VES 29.0M

-22.86%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$21.03 VES 17.5K

398.34%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$7.66 VES 6,359

48.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$31.81 VES 26.4K

-44.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$40.22 VES 33.4K

35.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$12.47 VES 10.4K

-8.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$3.46 VES 2,871

124.86%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$29.61 VES 24.6K

1846.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$30.05 VES 25.0K

111.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$44.67 VES 37.1K

-34.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$58.9 VES 48.9K

63.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$75.5 VES 62.7K

19.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$197 VES 163.8K

271.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$152 VES 126.3K

229.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$334 VES 277.1K

536.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$197 VES 164.0K

534.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$404 VES 335.7K

774.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$148 VES 123.3K

1666.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$215 VES 178.8K

135.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-72.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Porlamar: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $197 in Porlamar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 136% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Porlamar. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $210, 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 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 136% higher in Phuket, 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: $733 in Phuket versus $197 in Porlamar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $29.61 in Porlamar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $710 in Porlamar versus $1,265 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 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.