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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $649 in Punto Fijo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,109 in Punto Fijo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,569 in Punto Fijo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 94% more expensive than Punto Fijo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Punto Fijo 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.95 VES 3,488

-23.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$24.80 VES 14.5K

88.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.44 VES 4,943

0.36%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.55 VES 910

95.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.11 VES 651

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.60 VES 354

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.31 VES 767

90.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.77 VES 1,623

32.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.70 VES 997

28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.51 VES 884

25.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.06 VES 623

107.55%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.77 VES 1,625

-19.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.22 VES 2,471

373.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.55 VES 3,251

-34.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$5.80 VES 3,398

128.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$5.10 VES 2,988

-36.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$0.78 VES 460

117.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.76 VES 447

214.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.98 VES 574

112.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.98 VES 575

62.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.97 VES 570

52.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.72 VES 422

43.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.10 VES 643

-52.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$4.06 VES 2,377

4.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.28 VES 750

37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.55 VES 1,494

8.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$1.02 VES 598

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$61.2 VES 35.8K

-81.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$6.66 VES 3,904

-52.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$3.46 VES 2,024

-69.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.52 VES 304

157.69%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$29.6K VES 17.3M

-6.41%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$24.5K VES 14.4M

37.99%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$21.82 VES 12.8K

466.41%

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

$13.52 ฿440

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$32.34 VES 18.9K

-42.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$20.77 VES 12.2K

197.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$4.96 VES 2,908

247.78%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$7.46 VES 4,372

22.52%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$49.09 VES 28.8K

1331.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$44.66 VES 26.2K

33.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$35.69 VES 20.9K

-1.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$80.1 VES 46.9K

44.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$102 VES 59.5K

-17.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$99.9 VES 58.5K

519.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$78.6 VES 46.1K

450.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$348 VES 204.2K

491.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$223 VES 130.4K

579.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$200 VES 117.3K

153.21%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Punto Fijo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $99.9 in Punto Fijo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 153% 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 $293 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 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 153% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $99.9 in Punto Fijo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $49.09 in Punto Fijo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $649 in Punto Fijo versus $1,261 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 94% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.