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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,046 in Treinta y Tres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,569 in Treinta y Tres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,092 in Treinta y Tres.

Living in Phuket is roughly 18% more expensive than Treinta y Tres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Treinta y Tres 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$13.63 UYU 542

-66.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$43.64 UYU 1,736

7.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.68 UYU 345

1.84%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.77 UYU 110

8.30%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$2.18 UYU 86.5

-66.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.70 UYU 67.5

-78.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.16 UYU 85.8

12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.92 UYU 116

23.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.06 UYU 42.18

113.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.15 UYU 85.4

-14.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.60 UYU 63.6

40.00%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.74 UYU 149

-37.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$12.34 UYU 491

59.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$8.63 UYU 343

-57.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.28 UYU 289

79.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.05 UYU 81.7

65.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.25 UYU 49.72

31.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.46 UYU 57.9

65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.29 UYU 91.2

-11.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.21 UYU 48.10

28.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.88 UYU 74.7

-20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.09 UYU 43.34

-6.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.74 UYU 69.0

-71.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$5.19 UYU 207

-14.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$5.66 UYU 225

233.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.24 UYU 89.1

-20.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.03 UYU 120

-9.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.20 UYU 47.69

160.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$2.42 UYU 96.3

-58.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$12.54 UYU 499

12.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.91 UYU 76.1

-29.32%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.5K UYU 777.7K

39.05%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$36.3K UYU 1.4M

-9.27%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$112 UYU 4,457

11.55%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$12.41 UYU 494

9.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$36.38 UYU 1,447

-49.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$29.41 UYU 1,170

109.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.15 UYU 245

49.43%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$170 UYU 6,779

309.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,603 UYU 103.5K

499.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$61.9 UYU 2,462

-6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$19.69 UYU 783

78.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$97.2 UYU 3,865

16.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$109 UYU 4,347

-20.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$433 UYU 17.2K

42.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$242 UYU 9,620

84.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$604 UYU 24.0K

238.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$366 UYU 14.6K

307.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$812 UYU 32.3K

365.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$748 UYU 29.8K

-30.02%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Treinta y Tres: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $433 in Treinta y Tres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Treinta y Tres pays 43% 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 $292 vs $252 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 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Treinta y Tres earns 43% 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 $433 in Treinta y Tres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $170 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 $1,046 in Treinta y Tres versus $1,232 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 18% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.