Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Resistencia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Resistencia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $852 in Resistencia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,426 in Resistencia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,000 in Resistencia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 49% more expensive than Resistencia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Resistencia 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$10.62 ARS 15.3K

-55.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$33.86 ARS 48.7K

33.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$9.19 ARS 13.2K

-8.27%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.75 ARS 3,959

6.55%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.70 ARS 2,444

-59.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.48 ARS 2,135

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.06 ARS 2,964

16.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.08 ARS 4,436

20.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.60 ARS 857

271.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.56 ARS 2,240

17.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.34 ARS 1,924

61.94%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.28 ARS 1,843

72.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.87 ARS 7,005

305.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.17 ARS 4,559

14.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$4.55 ARS 6,545

197.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.22 ARS 1,753

168.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.98 ARS 1,410

64.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.65 ARS 930

270.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.82 ARS 1,175

153.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$0.42 ARS 601

264.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.48 ARS 694

208.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.33 ARS 1,919

-25.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.67 ARS 966

-23.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.57 ARS 3,701

71.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$5.19 ARS 7,459

273.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.81 ARS 1,160

119.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.42 ARS 2,036

90.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.82 ARS 1,186

67.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$12.11 ARS 17.4K

-5.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.54 ARS 2,209

96.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.92 ARS 1,318

7.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.86 ARS 8,437

140.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.10 ARS 1,577

23.64%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$27.6K ARS 39.8M

2.00%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.2K ARS 43.4M

9.01%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$67.6 ARS 97.2K

80.08%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.34 ARS 24.9K

-21.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$22.46 ARS 32.3K

-18.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$26.42 ARS 38.0K

127.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$18.30 ARS 26.3K

-6.34%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$2.55 ARS 3,666

240.78%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$216 ARS 311.1K

220.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$2,713 ARS 3.9M

478.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$73.5 ARS 105.7K

-18.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$69.9 ARS 100.6K

-50.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$114 ARS 164.2K

0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$112 ARS 161.7K

-25.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$339 ARS 487.5K

80.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$239 ARS 344.1K

82.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$678 ARS 975.0K

208.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$531 ARS 763.7K

184.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,057 ARS 3.0M

82.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$579 ARS 833.5K

-12.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

58.5

-90.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Resistencia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $339 in Resistencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Resistencia pays 14% 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 $34.00 in Resistencia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $128 per month, with Resistencia 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 Resistencia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Resistencia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Resistencia earns 14% 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 $339 in Resistencia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $216 in Resistencia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 130% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $852 in Resistencia versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Resistencia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Resistencia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Resistencia 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 Resistencia 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 Resistencia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.