Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto la Cruz Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto la Cruz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $732 in Puerto la Cruz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $1,305 in Puerto la Cruz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,896 in Phuket versus $1,878 in Puerto la Cruz.

Living in Phuket is roughly 72% more expensive than in Puerto la Cruz, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Puerto la Cruz 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 ฿145

$10.08 VES 7,820

-56.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.07 ฿1,151

$59.1 VES 45.8K

-40.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 ฿294

$7.52 VES 5,833

19.15%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.4

$3.46 VES 2,685

-13.29%

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

$0.77 ฿25.33

$0.67 VES 517

14.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.44

$0.48 VES 375

-2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 ฿78.6

$1.22 VES 949

96.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿123

$1.46 VES 1,134

156.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 ฿59.8

$1.95 VES 1,511

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ฿46.65

$1.23 VES 954

15.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿50.8

$1.18 VES 912

31.36%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.36 VES 1,830

-9.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.76 ฿648

$6.86 VES 5,320

188.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿114

$8.95 VES 6,937

-61.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.09 ฿364

$11.07 VES 8,587

0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 ฿95.5

$7.18 VES 5,566

-59.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 ฿54.6

$1.32 VES 1,022

25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿74.5

$0.48 VES 376

372.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ฿68.8

$2.38 VES 1,845

-11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.24

$2.18 VES 1,689

-32.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 ฿46.29

$2.15 VES 1,666

-34.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ฿35.78

$1.62 VES 1,259

-32.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 ฿17.58

$1.63 VES 1,264

-66.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ฿147

$3.92 VES 3,037

14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.72 ฿614

$7.97 VES 6,182

134.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿60.4

$0.97 VES 753

89.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ฿96.7

$1.54 VES 1,191

91.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿74.1

$0.37 VES 286

510.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.07 ฿757

$30.59 VES 23.7K

-24.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿99.9

$3.03 VES 2,346

0.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 ฿35.82

$2.79 VES 2,166

-60.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 ฿125

$9.93 VES 7,704

-61.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿48.79

$0.52 VES 407

186.54%

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

$27.4K ฿900.3K

$25.4K VES 19.7M

7.91%

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

$27.5K ฿902.7K

$38.6K VES 29.9M

-28.73%

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

$102 ฿3,340

$23.57 VES 18.3K

331.95%

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

$11.28 ฿370

$9.82 VES 7,613

14.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 ฿582

$26.99 VES 20.9K

-34.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ฿1,777

$30.59 VES 23.7K

77.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 ฿360

$24.95 VES 19.3K

-56.07%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 ฿258

$5.06 VES 3,923

55.14%

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

$577 ฿18.9K

$59.8 VES 46.4K

865.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿381.6K

$2,973 VES 2.3M

291.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ฿2,144

$47.57 VES 36.9K

37.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.89 ฿948

$34.40 VES 26.7K

-16.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 ฿3,250

$45.40 VES 35.2K

118.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,961

$46.55 VES 36.1K

93.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ฿24.8K

$150 VES 116.4K

403.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 ฿16.0K

$96.6 VES 74.9K

404.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿68.4K

$310 VES 240.6K

572.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ฿39.6K

$198 VES 153.8K

508.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,591 ฿117.8K

$513 VES 397.8K

600.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,610 ฿85.6K

$310 VES 240.5K

741.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.5K

$223 VES 172.8K

125.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-62.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 18, 2026

Last update for Puerto la Cruz: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Phuket and $150 in Puerto la Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 125% 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: $35.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in Puerto la Cruz. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $263, with Puerto la Cruz 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 Puerto la Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto la Cruz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 125% 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: $756 in Phuket versus $150 in Puerto la Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $577 in Phuket versus $59.8 in Puerto la Cruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $732 in Puerto la Cruz versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Puerto la Cruz but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto la Cruz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto la Cruz 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 Puerto la Cruz 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 Puerto la Cruz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.