Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Treinta y Tres Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Treinta y Tres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,042 in Treinta y Tres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,596 in Treinta y Tres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $2,150 in Treinta y Tres.

Living in Phuket is roughly 21% more expensive than Treinta y Tres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Treinta y Tres 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$13.28 UYU 538

-65.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$43.53 UYU 1,765

7.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.50 UYU 345

-0.35%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.67 UYU 108

13.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$2.20 UYU 89.1

-68.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.69 UYU 68.6

-78.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.15 UYU 87.2

15.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.01 UYU 122

21.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.10 UYU 44.61

98.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$2.19 UYU 88.7

-13.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.58 UYU 64.1

39.24%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$3.72 UYU 151

-40.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.27 UYU 498

62.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$8.61 UYU 349

-57.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.48 UYU 303

77.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.15 UYU 87.3

50.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.18 UYU 48.00

44.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.44 UYU 58.3

65.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.32 UYU 93.9

-10.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.19 UYU 48.35

33.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.92 UYU 77.9

-22.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.11 UYU 45.09

-7.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$1.67 UYU 67.8

-68.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$5.12 UYU 207

-16.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.49 UYU 223

242.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$2.16 UYU 87.8

-18.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$2.99 UYU 121

-7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.19 UYU 48.42

163.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$2.30 UYU 93.3

-54.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$12.24 UYU 496

12.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.85 UYU 75.0

-27.57%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$19.6K UYU 792.7K

41.55%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$35.6K UYU 1.4M

-4.95%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$109 UYU 4,433

13.02%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$12.44 UYU 504

8.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$36.78 UYU 1,491

-49.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$29.74 UYU 1,206

107.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.04 UYU 245

51.32%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$169 UYU 6,836

316.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$2,637 UYU 106.9K

501.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$60.2 UYU 2,439

-1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$19.33 UYU 784

81.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$96.2 UYU 3,901

19.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$108 UYU 4,386

-22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$447 UYU 18.1K

38.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$242 UYU 9,806

78.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$610 UYU 24.7K

238.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$373 UYU 15.1K

304.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$786 UYU 31.9K

363.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$730 UYU 29.6K

-30.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

33.25%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Treinta y Tres: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $447 in Treinta y Tres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Treinta y Tres pays 44% 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 $44.00 in Treinta y Tres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $251 per month, with Treinta y Tres 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 Treinta y Tres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Treinta y Tres is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Treinta y Tres earns 44% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $447 in Treinta y Tres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $169 in Treinta y Tres. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Treinta y Tres – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,042 in Treinta y Tres versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Treinta y Tres but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Treinta y Tres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Treinta y Tres 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 Treinta y Tres 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 Treinta y Tres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.