Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Punto Fijo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Punto Fijo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $650 in Punto Fijo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,092 in Punto Fijo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,534 in Punto Fijo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 89% more expensive than Punto Fijo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Punto Fijo 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.06 VES 2,952

-23.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$25.25 VES 12.3K

85.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.54 VES 4,160

3.51%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.51 VES 736

98.68%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.07 VES 520

-30.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.61 VES 299

-39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.34 VES 652

82.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.72 VES 1,327

32.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.70 VES 829

32.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.57 VES 767

17.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.04 VES 505

115.38%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.71 VES 1,319

-14.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.09 VES 1,991

380.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.68 VES 2,767

-35.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$5.93 VES 2,887

120.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$5.03 VES 2,450

-32.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$0.74 VES 358

121.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.73 VES 356

230.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.98 VES 476

107.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$0.99 VES 482

57.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.98 VES 479

53.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.73 VES 358

39.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.14 VES 555

-57.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$4.12 VES 2,005

8.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.23 VES 600

44.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.43 VES 1,182

13.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.98 VES 476

42.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$58.9 VES 28.7K

-80.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$6.46 VES 3,147

-51.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$3.45 VES 1,681

-71.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.49 VES 236

175.51%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$30.5K VES 14.8M

-10.73%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.4K VES 12.4M

29.37%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$21.83 VES 10.6K

472.51%

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

$13.57 ฿444

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$31.85 VES 15.5K

-41.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$20.61 VES 10.0K

198.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.09 VES 2,480

230.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$7.61 VES 3,707

20.76%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$49.20 VES 24.0K

1319.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$45.73 VES 22.3K

26.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$34.65 VES 16.9K

1.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$78.4 VES 38.2K

44.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$101 VES 49.3K

-14.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$99.4 VES 48.4K

519.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$79.9 VES 38.9K

457.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$343 VES 167.2K

496.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$216 VES 105.5K

589.23%

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

$200 VES 97.2K

162.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-77.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Punto Fijo: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $99.4 in Punto Fijo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 162% 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 $25.00 in Punto Fijo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $176 per month, with Punto Fijo 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 Punto Fijo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Punto Fijo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 162% 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 $99.4 in Punto Fijo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $49.20 in Punto Fijo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $650 in Punto Fijo versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Punto Fijo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Punto Fijo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Punto Fijo 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 Punto Fijo 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 Punto Fijo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.