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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $724 in Puerto la Cruz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,164 in Puerto la Cruz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,605 in Puerto la Cruz.

Living in Phuket is roughly 70% more expensive than Puerto la Cruz, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Puerto la Cruz 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$7.62 VES 3,710

-39.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$55.8 VES 27.2K

-16.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$5.86 VES 2,857

50.85%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.01 VES 494

197.03%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.72 VES 349

2.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.48 VES 234

-22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$0.97 VES 473

151.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$1.46 VES 713

147.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.82 VES 885

24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.81 VES 1,367

-34.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.43 VES 698

56.64%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.80 VES 1,362

-17.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.78 VES 4,763

101.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$7.58 VES 3,690

-51.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.30 VES 3,557

79.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$5.20 VES 2,532

-34.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.88 VES 916

-12.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.28 VES 1,109

5.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.05 VES 998

-0.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$2.69 VES 1,310

-42.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$2.07 VES 1,008

-27.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.35 VES 658

-24.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.94 VES 945

-74.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.02 VES 1,958

10.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.79 VES 3,796

142.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.47 VES 714

21.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.03 VES 988

35.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.26 VES 128

438.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$3.07 VES 1,495

1.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.68 VES 1,308

-62.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$4.96 VES 2,415

184.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.52 VES 252

159.62%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$24.8K VES 12.1M

9.79%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$39.1K VES 19.0M

-15.74%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$20.23 VES 9,853

517.80%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$10.17 VES 4,955

33.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$25.42 VES 12.4K

-27.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.95 VES 2,899

54.45%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$59.0 VES 28.8K

1082.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$5,497 VES 2.7M

183.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$45.36 VES 22.1K

27.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$37.69 VES 18.4K

-6.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$44.21 VES 21.5K

155.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$39.74 VES 19.4K

117.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$179 VES 87.2K

244.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$184 VES 89.5K

142.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$437 VES 212.7K

368.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$198 VES 96.6K

652.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$510 VES 248.4K

640.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$308 VES 149.9K

760.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$221 VES 107.8K

136.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

21.33

-75.01%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Puerto la Cruz: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $179 in Puerto la Cruz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 137% 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 $56.0 in Puerto la Cruz. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $277, 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 137% 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 $179 in Puerto la Cruz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $59.0 in Puerto la Cruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto la Cruz – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $724 in Puerto la Cruz versus $1,232 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 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.