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 $953 in Rosario.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,642 in Rosario.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,331 in Rosario.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Rosario, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Rosario 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$10.01 ARS 15.1K

-55.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$37.67 ARS 57.0K

-14.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$11.33 ARS 17.1K

-21.18%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.96 ARS 4,481

-2.03%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.75 ARS 2,653

-49.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.69 ARS 2,556

-71.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$3.63 ARS 5,491

-35.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.20 ARS 3,332

69.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.24 ARS 1,882

50.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.56 ARS 2,361

-5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.56 ARS 2,361

-0.64%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.35 ARS 3,546

-10.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.24 ARS 12.5K

137.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.94 ARS 8,977

-42.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$10.48 ARS 15.9K

8.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.00 ARS 3,021

49.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.52 ARS 2,304

10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.02 ARS 1,541

116.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$2.02 ARS 3,053

6.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.90 ARS 1,367

68.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.68 ARS 1,031

97.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.47 ARS 2,224

-23.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.67 ARS 2,527

-67.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.27 ARS 4,947

30.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$4.68 ARS 7,079

307.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.29 ARS 1,945

37.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.72 ARS 4,110

2.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.05 ARS 1,592

112.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.59 ARS 2,397

90.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.99 ARS 1,494

3.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.54 ARS 11.4K

-48.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.09 ARS 1,644

36.70%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$28.5K ARS 43.0M

-6.59%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$29.7K ARS 44.8M

-8.84%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$60.4 ARS 91.3K

69.68%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$20.24 ARS 30.6K

-44.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$27.03 ARS 40.9K

-35.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$28.94 ARS 43.8K

79.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$4.88 ARS 7,381

57.58%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$471 ARS 711.9K

19.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$8,756 ARS 13.2M

31.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$90.4 ARS 136.6K

-30.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$59.3 ARS 89.7K

-50.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$116 ARS 175.6K

-15.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$135 ARS 204.8K

-34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$254 ARS 383.4K

191.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$204 ARS 308.7K

136.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$725 ARS 1.1M

190.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$672 ARS 1.0M

82.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$2,101 ARS 3.2M

72.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$697 ARS 1.1M

-29.21%

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 15, 2026

Last update for Rosario: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $254 in Rosario. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rosario pays 41% 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 $38.00 in Rosario. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $214, with Rosario 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 Rosario: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rosario is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $254 in Rosario. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $471 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 $38.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $953 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 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.