Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Trujillo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Trujillo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $903 in Trujillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,357 in Trujillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $1,811 in Trujillo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 39% more expensive than in Trujillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Trujillo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$3.64 PEN 12.21

25.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$24.00 PEN 80.5

35.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$7.31 PEN 24.51

21.75%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$3.32 PEN 11.15

-15.66%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$0.97 PEN 3.26

-9.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.61 PEN 2.05

-19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.04 PEN 6.83

17.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.56 PEN 11.93

4.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.41 PEN 4.74

26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$2.12 PEN 7.12

-32.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.22 PEN 4.08

29.51%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$4.22 PEN 14.16

-49.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$7.78 PEN 26.10

156.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$6.85 PEN 22.97

-49.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.16 PEN 30.70

23.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$1.64 PEN 5.51

79.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$0.57 PEN 1.92

201.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$0.58 PEN 1.93

300.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$0.86 PEN 2.89

141.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$0.94 PEN 3.14

56.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.18 PEN 3.94

15.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$1.25 PEN 4.21

-12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.12 PEN 3.75

-49.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$4.50 PEN 15.10

-5.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$5.96 PEN 19.98

209.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.75 PEN 5.87

6.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$1.59 PEN 5.34

83.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.61 PEN 2.05

263.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$18.04 PEN 60.5

26.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$2.60 PEN 8.72

16.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$2.20 PEN 7.39

-51.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$5.85 PEN 19.62

-32.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.67 PEN 5.60

-10.78%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$18.0K PEN 60.3K

50.90%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$28.6K PEN 95.8K

-3.87%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$100 PEN 336

2.67%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$13.55 PEN 45.44

-18.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$27.50 PEN 92.2

-36.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$41.19 PEN 138

29.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$5.89 PEN 19.75

90.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$4.43 PEN 14.84

68.85%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$109 PEN 367

409.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$2,172 PEN 7,283

445.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$73.5 PEN 246

-12.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$15.14 PEN 50.8

92.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$47.31 PEN 159

102.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$44.86 PEN 150

101.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$400 PEN 1,341

82.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$257 PEN 862

94.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$768 PEN 2,574

172.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$523 PEN 1,752

131.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,183 PEN 3,967

203.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$536 PEN 1,796

-6.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.7

-52.39%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $400 in Trujillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trujillo pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Trujillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $208 per month, with Trujillo 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 Trujillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trujillo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Trujillo. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $400 in Trujillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $109 in Trujillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $903 in Trujillo versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Trujillo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Trujillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Trujillo 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 Trujillo 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 Trujillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.