Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tacna

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacna: $433 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Tacna

🇵🇪 Peru

$433

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tacna

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Tacna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $433 in Tacna.

Phuket $1,294
Tacna $433

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $621 in Tacna.

Phuket $2,204
Tacna $621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $810 in Tacna.

Phuket $3,115
Tacna $810

Living in Phuket is roughly 199% more expensive than in Tacna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Tacna 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$2.84 PEN 9.77

54.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$14.47 PEN 49.80

123.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$4.94 PEN 16.99

76.11%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$3.42 PEN 11.77

-20.47%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$1.13 PEN 3.89

-17.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$0.41 PEN 1.41

21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

$2.83 PEN 9.73

-10.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.36 PEN 11.55

8.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.16 PEN 4.00

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$1.41 PEN 4.84

2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$0.83 PEN 2.86

80.72%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$1.76 PEN 6.05

23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

$4.34 PEN 14.94

339.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.65 PEN 16.01

-26.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$8.61 PEN 29.62

26.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$1.41 PEN 4.85

19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

$0.90 PEN 3.11

143.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

$0.74 PEN 2.56

97.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.70 PEN 2.40

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$4.36 PEN 15.02

1.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

$6.42 PEN 22.10

184.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

$2.59 PEN 8.90

-31.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

$0.28 PEN 0.96

417.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.90 PEN 6.54

-20.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

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

$11.29 ฿378

$18.59 PEN 64.0

-39.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

$25.48 PEN 87.7

-32.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

$29.16 PEN 100

134.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$2.58 PEN 8.88

187.98%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$57.3 PEN 197

826.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

$20.45 PEN 70.4

201.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

$20.55 PEN 70.7

37.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

$26.26 PEN 90.4

230.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$68.7 PEN 237

640.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$465 PEN 1,600

5.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tacna: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Tacna

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Tacna

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Tacna

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Tacna

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Tacna

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Tacna

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Tacna

–

Cost Breakdown

Phuket pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $14 in Tacna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $147 per month, with Tacna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇪 Tacna

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

00:06 12:06 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

92,972

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.54 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Tacna 18,350 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tacna

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tacna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tacna is about 67% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $57 in Tacna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tacna – a meal for two runs $14 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $433 in Tacna versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Tacna but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tacna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tacna are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Tacna wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.