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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $822 in Rosario.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,363 in Rosario.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,905 in Rosario.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Rosario 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$9.11 ARS 12.7K

-49.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$29.61 ARS 41.3K

58.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.01 ARS 12.6K

-1.89%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.70 ARS 2,376

76.47%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.33 ARS 1,858

-44.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.18 ARS 1,650

-68.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.20 ARS 1,669

103.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.68 ARS 3,733

34.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.26 ARS 1,759

79.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.55 ARS 2,166

18.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.78 ARS 2,479

25.84%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.25 ARS 3,142

3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$11.91 ARS 16.6K

65.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.91 ARS 8,241

-38.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.57 ARS 13.4K

36.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.83 ARS 2,558

85.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.03 ARS 2,837

-19.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.92 ARS 1,282

161.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.50 ARS 3,494

-18.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.51 ARS 2,104

3.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.40 ARS 1,953

7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.88 ARS 1,230

15.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.44 ARS 2,004

-65.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.27 ARS 4,564

36.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.62 ARS 6,452

308.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.30 ARS 1,811

36.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.05 ARS 4,262

-9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.82 ARS 1,145

70.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.56 ARS 2,182

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.86 ARS 1,206

16.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.93 ARS 8,272

137.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.08 ARS 1,504

25.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$23.7K ARS 33.1M

14.62%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.6K ARS 35.7M

28.81%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$55.0 ARS 76.8K

127.11%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$18.55 ARS 25.9K

-26.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$14.82 ARS 20.7K

24.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$24.04 ARS 33.5K

155.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$5.92 ARS 8,261

184.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.07 ARS 7,078

81.26%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$326 ARS 454.3K

114.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$1,089 ARS 1.5M

1331.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$61.8 ARS 86.2K

-6.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$60.4 ARS 84.3K

-41.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$107 ARS 149.7K

5.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$93.5 ARS 130.4K

-7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$200 ARS 279.7K

207.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$187 ARS 261.1K

138.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$523 ARS 730.3K

291.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$391 ARS 545.8K

281.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,083 ARS 2.9M

81.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$701 ARS 978.2K

-25.28%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Rosario: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $200 in Rosario. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rosario pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Rosario for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $226 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, Rosario earns 34% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $200 in Rosario. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $326 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 $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $822 in Rosario versus $1,232 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.