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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $453 in Pucallpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $745 in Pucallpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,036 in Pucallpa.

Living in Phuket is roughly 172% more expensive than Pucallpa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Pucallpa 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.25 PEN 7.91

105.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$11.32 PEN 39.83

313.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.01 PEN 17.65

76.45%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.98 PEN 6.96

51.52%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.95 PEN 3.33

-22.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.27 PEN 0.94

37.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.72 PEN 6.05

41.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.27 PEN 7.99

59.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.98 PEN 3.46

130.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$3.56 PEN 12.54

-48.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.08 PEN 3.80

107.41%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.65 PEN 5.81

40.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$1.89 PEN 6.65

940.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.98 PEN 14.01

-8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$3.41 PEN 12.01

284.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.18 PEN 7.66

55.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.41 PEN 4.98

16.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.42 PEN 5.01

69.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.45 PEN 8.64

-17.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.95 PEN 3.34

64.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.90 PEN 6.67

-21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.76 PEN 2.67

34.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.94 PEN 3.30

-47.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.38 PEN 15.42

1.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.70 PEN 27.11

145.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.26 PEN 7.94

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.35 PEN 11.79

-17.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$1.13 PEN 3.98

23.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.35 PEN 4.77

131.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.52 PEN 1.82

92.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.18 PEN 4.14

14.41%

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

$49.63 PEN 175

151.82%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$15.10 PEN 53.2

-10.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$41.63 PEN 147

-55.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

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

$50.8 PEN 179

13.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$33.11 PEN 117

6.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$33.65 PEN 118

236.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$63.7 PEN 224

35.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$111 PEN 392

452.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$222 PEN 781

823.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$119 PEN 419

1154.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$405 PEN 1,426

29.31%

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 Pucallpa: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $111 in Pucallpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 29% 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 $11.00 in Pucallpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $184 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 172% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 29% 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 $111 in Pucallpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% 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 $11.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $453 in Pucallpa versus $1,232 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 172% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.