Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto la Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto la Cruz: $736 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Puerto la Cruz
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Puerto la Cruz Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Puerto la Cruz

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Puerto la Cruz

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 Puerto la Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $736 in Puerto la Cruz.

Phuket $1,190
Puerto la Cruz $736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $1,329 in Puerto la Cruz.

Phuket $2,006
Puerto la Cruz $1,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $1,921 in Puerto la Cruz.

Phuket $2,822
Puerto la Cruz $1,921

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than in Puerto la Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Puerto la Cruz 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$9.98 VES 8,726

-56.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,091

$60.9 VES 53.2K

-46.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿283

$7.64 VES 6,686

10.21%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.3

$3.41 VES 2,980

-17.60%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.71 VES 619

22.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.45

$0.49 VES 424

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

$1.22 VES 1,067

112.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿123

$1.54 VES 1,344

136.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.4

$1.96 VES 1,718

-12.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.61

$1.23 VES 1,076

17.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.5

$1.23 VES 1,080

26.83%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.5

$2.43 VES 2,126

-13.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿656

$7.18 VES 6,280

172.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$8.93 VES 7,807

-61.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$11.20 VES 9,799

-0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿95.2

$7.18 VES 6,277

-60.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.5

$1.32 VES 1,157

22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.8

$0.51 VES 450

335.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿72.2

$2.26 VES 1,972

-4.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$2.26 VES 1,973

-34.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.57

$2.13 VES 1,864

-37.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.86

$1.57 VES 1,373

-31.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.07

$1.63 VES 1,428

-68.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$3.88 VES 3,395

12.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿631

$7.85 VES 6,865

139.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$1.01 VES 884

72.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿93.3

$1.53 VES 1,335

81.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.9

$0.37 VES 323

486.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿749

$30.35 VES 26.5K

-26.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$2.96 VES 2,591

2.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.56

$2.82 VES 2,463

-62.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿125

$10.11 VES 8,843

-63.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿48.07

$0.48 VES 418

197.92%

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

$26.3K ฿885.5K

$25.3K VES 22.1M

4.27%

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

$26.2K ฿880.7K

$37.8K VES 33.0M

-30.65%

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

$96.7 ฿3,249

$21.60 VES 18.9K

347.50%

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

$11.41 ฿384

$9.80 VES 8,575

16.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿575

$27.11 VES 23.7K

-36.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,775

$29.65 VES 25.9K

78.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿372

$25.14 VES 22.0K

-55.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿257

$5.10 VES 4,461

50.00%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$59.4 VES 52.0K

833.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.2K

$2,978 VES 2.6M

278.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,131

$47.31 VES 41.4K

34.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿961

$34.48 VES 30.2K

-17.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,251

$45.85 VES 40.1K

110.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,978

$47.92 VES 41.9K

84.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.7K

$150 VES 130.8K

391.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.4K

$95.1 VES 83.2K

381.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.6K

$310 VES 271.1K

578.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.9K

$198 VES 173.2K

499.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿117.4K

$745 VES 651.5K

368.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.7K

$370 VES 323.7K

573.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$225 VES 196.7K

122.73%

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: October 4, 2026

Last update for Puerto la Cruz: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Puerto la Cruz

$95 12.8% 79.2% $363

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Puerto la Cruz

$264 35.6% 1.4% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Puerto la Cruz

$59 7.9% 53.3% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Puerto la Cruz

$79 10.6% 36.7% $46

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Puerto la Cruz

$158 21.2% 32.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Puerto la Cruz

$40 5.4% 41.5% $28

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Puerto la Cruz

$49 6.6% 24.5% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $150 in Puerto la Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 123% 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 $61.0 in Puerto la Cruz. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $264, with Puerto la Cruz cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇻🇪 Puerto la Cruz

🕒 Local time

10:41 10:41 AM

23:41 11:41 PM

11 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

272,231

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 33.61 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 875 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 980 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Puerto la Cruz 17,260 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Puerto la Cruz

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 Puerto la Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto la Cruz is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 123% 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: $735 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 $555 in Phuket versus $59.4 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 1% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $736 in Puerto la Cruz versus $1,190 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 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.