Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quilmes Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quilmes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $932 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,553 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,174 in Quilmes.

Living in Phuket is roughly 36% more expensive than in Quilmes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Quilmes 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$5.58 ARS 8,412

-16.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$35.58 ARS 53.7K

-9.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$9.20 ARS 13.9K

-5.65%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.92 ARS 4,401

-0.68%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.70 ARS 2,565

-50.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$1.65 ARS 2,487

-70.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$3.99 ARS 6,019

-37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.26 ARS 3,414

65.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.02 ARS 1,540

85.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.58 ARS 2,391

-10.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.66 ARS 2,509

-2.41%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.36 ARS 3,558

-5.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$13.14 ARS 19.8K

50.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$6.09 ARS 9,184

-42.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.92 ARS 15.0K

14.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.90 ARS 2,861

52.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.50 ARS 2,270

14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.02 ARS 1,537

122.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$2.12 ARS 3,201

0.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$0.91 ARS 1,378

61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$0.63 ARS 947

125.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.71 ARS 1,073

54.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.68 ARS 1,020

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$4.98 ARS 7,507

-13.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$4.33 ARS 6,533

329.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.23 ARS 1,859

46.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$1.90 ARS 2,873

56.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.98 ARS 1,477

129.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.57 ARS 2,364

97.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.98 ARS 1,480

10.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$7.34 ARS 11.1K

-47.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.13 ARS 1,708

26.55%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$51.0K ARS 76.9M

-45.52%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$39.1K ARS 58.9M

-30.95%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$59.3 ARS 89.4K

76.82%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$14.44 ARS 21.8K

-21.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$21.74 ARS 32.8K

-19.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$30.26 ARS 45.7K

79.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$10.17 ARS 15.3K

-23.50%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$299 ARS 451.7K

92.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$4,229 ARS 6.4M

173.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$96.4 ARS 145.5K

-34.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$35.43 ARS 53.4K

-17.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$64.4 ARS 97.2K

49.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$71.3 ARS 107.5K

26.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$476 ARS 718.6K

53.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$313 ARS 472.8K

59.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$970 ARS 1.5M

119.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$770 ARS 1.2M

62.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,385 ARS 3.6M

48.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,815 ARS 2.7M

44.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$1,085 ARS 1.6M

-53.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

56.56

-90.15%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $476 in Quilmes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quilmes pays 114% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Quilmes. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $209, with Quilmes 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 Quilmes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quilmes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 114% lower in Quilmes. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $476 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $299 in Quilmes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quilmes – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Quilmes versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quilmes but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Quilmes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quilmes 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 Quilmes 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 Quilmes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.