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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,023 in Treinta y Tres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,580 in Treinta y Tres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,137 in Treinta y Tres.

Living in Phuket is roughly 24% more expensive than in Treinta y Tres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Treinta y Tres 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$13.58 UYU 546

-67.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$43.23 UYU 1,738

5.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$8.81 UYU 354

-0.57%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.72 UYU 109

9.19%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.26 UYU 91.0

-69.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.71 UYU 68.8

-77.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.18 UYU 87.7

16.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.85 UYU 115

31.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.11 UYU 44.69

93.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.26 UYU 90.9

-19.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.63 UYU 65.4

33.74%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.72 UYU 149

-39.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.40 UYU 499

61.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.48 UYU 341

-57.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.16 UYU 288

89.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.15 UYU 86.3

50.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.24 UYU 49.80

32.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.44 UYU 58.0

61.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.38 UYU 95.5

-13.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.24 UYU 49.99

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.85 UYU 74.5

-21.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.12 UYU 44.86

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.66 UYU 66.9

-71.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.22 UYU 210

-16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.63 UYU 226

229.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.26 UYU 91.0

-17.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.05 UYU 123

-13.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.19 UYU 47.74

166.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$2.43 UYU 97.7

-57.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$12.52 UYU 504

10.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.83 UYU 73.6

-26.78%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$19.8K UYU 795.7K

40.41%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$36.2K UYU 1.5M

-7.73%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$110 UYU 4,431

11.64%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$12.33 UYU 496

11.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$36.76 UYU 1,478

-50.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$29.82 UYU 1,199

103.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.02 UYU 242

47.34%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$171 UYU 6,860

303.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,641 UYU 106.2K

497.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$60.7 UYU 2,439

-2.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$19.53 UYU 785

77.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$94.4 UYU 3,794

22.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$111 UYU 4,461

-24.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$437 UYU 17.6K

42.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$244 UYU 9,810

82.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$607 UYU 24.4K

235.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$363 UYU 14.6K

311.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$806 UYU 32.4K

328.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$737 UYU 29.6K

-33.00%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Treinta y Tres: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $437 in Treinta y Tres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Treinta y Tres pays 49% 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 $43.00 in Treinta y Tres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $253 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 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 49% lower in Treinta y Tres. 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 $437 in Treinta y Tres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $171 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 $43.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,023 in Treinta y Tres versus $1,264 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 24% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.