Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pucallpa Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pucallpa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $510 in Pucallpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $850 in Pucallpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,191 in Pucallpa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 148% more expensive than in Pucallpa, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Pucallpa 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$2.34 PEN 7.84

99.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,066

$11.76 PEN 39.42

173.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$5.19 PEN 17.41

67.24%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.9

$2.11 PEN 7.08

37.44%

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

$0.84 ฿27.91

$1.05 PEN 3.53

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.17

$0.29 PEN 0.97

68.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.1

$1.77 PEN 5.92

40.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.41 PEN 8.06

54.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.05 PEN 3.51

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.58

$3.73 PEN 12.51

-62.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.16 PEN 3.89

39.66%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$1.82 PEN 6.11

23.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$2.06 PEN 6.92

863.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.04 PEN 13.55

-13.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$3.67 PEN 12.30

209.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.9

$2.33 PEN 7.82

24.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.48 PEN 4.95

16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.2

$1.51 PEN 5.05

50.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.5

$2.69 PEN 9.01

-20.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.77

$3.05 PEN 10.23

-51.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.96

$2.12 PEN 7.10

-33.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.29

$2.41 PEN 8.08

-54.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.78

$1.02 PEN 3.41

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.64 PEN 15.55

-7.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$8.23 PEN 27.60

126.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.6

$2.41 PEN 8.08

-25.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.1

$3.59 PEN 12.03

-17.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.3

$1.22 PEN 4.07

84.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿777

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿103

$1.47 PEN 4.91

110.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.59

$0.56 PEN 1.89

92.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.20

$1.30 PEN 4.35

10.00%

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

$27.8K ฿918.9K

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

$27.0K ฿892.4K

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

$105 ฿3,466

$53.4 PEN 179

96.22%

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

$11.39 ฿377

$36.08 PEN 121

-68.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$43.85 PEN 147

-60.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,797

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

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

$576 ฿19.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿383.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,104

$52.9 PEN 177

20.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿962

$35.75 PEN 120

-18.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,182

$35.11 PEN 118

174.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,977

$68.2 PEN 229

31.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$119 PEN 399

515.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.3K

$233 PEN 782

810.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$128 PEN 428

881.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$424 PEN 1,420

19.83%

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 Pucallpa: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $119 in Pucallpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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 $12.00 in Pucallpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $208 per month, with Pucallpa 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 Pucallpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pucallpa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 148% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $119 in Pucallpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% 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 $12.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $510 in Pucallpa versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

For families, Pucallpa 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 Pucallpa 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 Pucallpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.