Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rosario Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rosario

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $842 in Rosario.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,342 in Rosario.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,842 in Rosario.

Living in Phuket is roughly 50% more expensive than in Rosario, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Rosario 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$9.12 ARS 13.5K

-50.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$30.19 ARS 44.8K

51.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.12 ARS 13.5K

-3.95%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.64 ARS 2,430

81.10%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.27 ARS 1,892

-45.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.17 ARS 1,733

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.24 ARS 1,845

104.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.78 ARS 4,130

34.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.28 ARS 1,899

67.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.53 ARS 2,279

18.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.85 ARS 2,746

17.84%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.18 ARS 3,233

3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.29 ARS 18.3K

62.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.93 ARS 8,807

-38.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$9.66 ARS 14.3K

40.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.82 ARS 2,696

78.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.11 ARS 3,136

-22.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$0.98 ARS 1,457

137.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.54 ARS 3,768

-18.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.43 ARS 2,121

8.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.44 ARS 2,145

1.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.86 ARS 1,278

13.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.42 ARS 2,112

-66.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.32 ARS 4,936

31.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.62 ARS 6,862

301.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.30 ARS 1,933

43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.08 ARS 4,579

-13.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.88 ARS 1,307

61.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.64 ARS 2,432

93.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.87 ARS 1,296

18.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.07 ARS 9,009

128.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.08 ARS 1,601

24.07%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$23.9K ARS 35.6M

16.06%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$25.6K ARS 38.1M

30.15%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$54.5 ARS 80.9K

125.95%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$18.33 ARS 27.2K

-24.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$14.60 ARS 21.7K

25.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$23.99 ARS 35.6K

152.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$5.88 ARS 8,735

191.84%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.91 ARS 7,298

80.65%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$331 ARS 491.0K

108.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$1,084 ARS 1.6M

1355.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$62.7 ARS 93.1K

-5.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$60.0 ARS 89.0K

-42.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$108 ARS 160.5K

6.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$96.7 ARS 143.7K

-13.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$198 ARS 293.5K

214.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$183 ARS 272.1K

143.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$515 ARS 764.3K

295.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$392 ARS 582.1K

281.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,098 ARS 3.1M

64.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$707 ARS 1.0M

-30.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

52.71

-89.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Rosario: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $198 in Rosario. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rosario pays 43% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Rosario for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $228 per month, with Rosario 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 Rosario: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rosario is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Rosario. 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: $621 in Phuket versus $198 in Rosario. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $331 in Rosario. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rosario – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $842 in Rosario versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rosario but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rosario the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rosario 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 Rosario 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 Rosario gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.