Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pucallpa

For one person, living is cheaper in Pucallpa: $506 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Peru

$506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pucallpa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Pucallpa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $506 in Pucallpa.

Phuket $1,278
Pucallpa $506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $833 in Pucallpa.

Phuket $2,216
Pucallpa $833

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,159 in Pucallpa.

Phuket $3,154
Pucallpa $1,159

Living in Phuket is roughly 153% more expensive than in Pucallpa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Pucallpa 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.33 PEN 8.05

91.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,092

$11.69 PEN 40.35

177.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.13 PEN 17.71

71.73%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.3

$1.98 PEN 6.84

42.93%

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

$0.87 ฿29.37

$0.99 PEN 3.42

-12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.64

$0.28 PEN 0.95

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.2

$1.70 PEN 5.86

50.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.36 PEN 8.14

55.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.01 PEN 3.50

64.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.25

$3.66 PEN 12.62

-60.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.18 PEN 4.09

27.12%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.4

$1.78 PEN 6.15

17.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿642

$1.99 PEN 6.88

858.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.17 PEN 14.39

-20.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$3.39 PEN 11.69

221.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.7

$2.38 PEN 8.23

23.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.9

$1.42 PEN 4.90

19.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.48 PEN 5.09

52.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.65 PEN 9.16

-21.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.9

$2.84 PEN 9.79

-46.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.47

$2.02 PEN 6.96

-31.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.91

$2.36 PEN 8.14

-54.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.49

$1.01 PEN 3.48

-48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.60 PEN 15.88

-8.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿633

$7.99 PEN 27.59

135.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$2.29 PEN 7.89

-20.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.7

$3.43 PEN 11.84

-17.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.19 PEN 4.11

21.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.42 PEN 4.90

112.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.29

$0.59 PEN 2.05

72.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.70

$1.28 PEN 4.41

14.84%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

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

$96.4 ฿3,247

$52.5 PEN 181

83.49%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$35.19 PEN 121

-68.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$44.14 PEN 152

-61.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,102

$52.9 PEN 183

17.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿957

$35.26 PEN 122

-19.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,178

$34.67 PEN 120

171.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,892

$67.0 PEN 231

28.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$116 PEN 399

519.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿64.9K

$236 PEN 814

716.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.2K

$126 PEN 436

1033.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$408 PEN 1,408

23.14%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pucallpa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Pucallpa

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Pucallpa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Pucallpa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Pucallpa

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Pucallpa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Pucallpa

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Pucallpa

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $116 in Pucallpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% 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 in Phuket vs $12 in Pucallpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $204 per month, with Pucallpa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇪 Pucallpa

🕒 Local time

14:31 2:31 PM

02:31 2:31 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

326,040

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Pucallpa 19,230 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pucallpa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Pucallpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pucallpa is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $116 in Pucallpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Pucallpa – a meal for two runs $12 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $506 in Pucallpa versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Pucallpa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pucallpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Pucallpa wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.