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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $656 in Punto Fijo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,117 in Punto Fijo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,577 in Punto Fijo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 93% more expensive than in Punto Fijo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Punto Fijo 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.99 VES 4,447

-25.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$24.75 VES 18.4K

84.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.53 VES 6,331

2.70%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.56 VES 1,158

90.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.08 VES 804

-36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.62 VES 458

-37.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.33 VES 986

90.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.68 VES 1,986

39.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$1.71 VES 1,269

25.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.49 VES 1,107

22.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.08 VES 798

101.85%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.79 VES 2,073

-19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$3.98 VES 2,955

402.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.56 VES 4,130

-34.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$6.00 VES 4,457

126.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$5.11 VES 3,795

-36.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$0.77 VES 568

112.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$0.78 VES 578

198.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$0.97 VES 723

113.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.98 VES 724

58.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$0.99 VES 732

47.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.77 VES 574

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$1.15 VES 853

-58.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$4.02 VES 2,983

8.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.23 VES 916

51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$2.52 VES 1,871

5.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$1.03 VES 762

37.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$59.9 VES 44.4K

-80.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$6.55 VES 4,860

-51.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$3.47 VES 2,577

-70.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$0.52 VES 388

157.69%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$29.6K VES 22.0M

-6.08%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$25.0K VES 18.6M

33.57%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$21.68 VES 16.1K

467.57%

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

$13.77 ฿461

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$32.97 VES 24.5K

-44.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$20.79 VES 15.4K

191.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$4.92 VES 3,653

248.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$7.62 VES 5,657

16.40%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$50.4 VES 37.4K

1266.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$44.14 VES 32.8K

34.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$34.94 VES 25.9K

-0.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$78.8 VES 58.5K

46.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$99.1 VES 73.6K

-15.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$99.3 VES 73.7K

525.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$79.8 VES 59.3K

458.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$344 VES 255.3K

491.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$216 VES 160.6K

591.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$202 VES 149.6K

144.90%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Punto Fijo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $99.3 in Punto Fijo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 145% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $25.00 in Punto Fijo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 145% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $99.3 in Punto Fijo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $50.4 in Punto Fijo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $656 in Punto Fijo versus $1,264 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 93% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.