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 $899 in Quilmes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,474 in Quilmes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,049 in Quilmes.

Living in Phuket is roughly 41% more expensive than Quilmes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Quilmes 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$9.11 ARS 13.0K

-48.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$30.19 ARS 43.1K

50.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$8.98 ARS 12.8K

-6.12%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.69 ARS 2,415

73.37%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.29 ARS 1,837

-46.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.13 ARS 1,610

-67.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.19 ARS 1,700

102.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.69 ARS 3,843

38.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.23 ARS 1,749

81.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.55 ARS 2,205

18.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.77 ARS 2,525

22.60%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.14 ARS 3,051

3.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$13.32 ARS 19.0K

48.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.08 ARS 8,676

-40.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.68 ARS 15.2K

26.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.80 ARS 2,565

82.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.07 ARS 2,956

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.00 ARS 1,433

141.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.67 ARS 3,804

-22.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.17 ARS 1,672

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.39 ARS 1,978

6.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.87 ARS 1,246

13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$1.78 ARS 2,542

-71.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.38 ARS 4,826

30.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.22 ARS 6,026

359.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.24 ARS 1,767

43.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.19 ARS 4,557

-15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.84 ARS 1,193

63.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.55 ARS 3,643

18.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.93 ARS 1,321

6.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.97 ARS 8,510

136.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.03 ARS 1,476

32.04%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$24.1K ARS 34.4M

16.79%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.3K ARS 37.6M

24.95%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$56.0 ARS 79.8K

117.44%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$18.13 ARS 25.9K

-25.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$14.44 ARS 20.6K

26.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$26.44 ARS 37.7K

127.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.04 ARS 20.0K

22.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.14 ARS 7,337

69.07%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$222 ARS 316.5K

212.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,069 ARS 1.5M

1366.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$62.0 ARS 88.5K

-4.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$59.5 ARS 84.8K

-41.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$107 ARS 152.7K

7.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$96.2 ARS 137.2K

-13.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$332 ARS 473.3K

84.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$242 ARS 344.9K

80.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$675 ARS 962.7K

210.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$539 ARS 768.5K

180.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,352 ARS 3.4M

59.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,764 ARS 2.5M

48.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,116 ARS 1.6M

-54.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

100

-94.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Quilmes: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $332 in Quilmes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quilmes pays 120% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Quilmes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $237 per month, with Quilmes 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 Quilmes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quilmes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Quilmes earns 120% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $332 in Quilmes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $222 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 $30.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 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 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.