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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $784 in Trujillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,170 in Trujillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,557 in Trujillo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than Trujillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Trujillo 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.21 PEN 10.91

46.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$13.85 PEN 47.14

227.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.75 PEN 22.96

24.89%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.88 PEN 9.81

1.74%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.89 PEN 3.04

-22.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.57 PEN 1.95

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.99 PEN 6.77

21.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.34 PEN 11.37

11.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.01 PEN 3.42

120.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.83 PEN 6.24

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.14 PEN 3.88

90.35%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.85 PEN 13.11

-42.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.53 PEN 22.22

-44.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.62 PEN 25.94

77.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.13 PEN 3.85

190.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.58 PEN 1.96

177.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.58 PEN 1.96

315.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.76 PEN 2.58

173.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.93 PEN 3.18

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.81 PEN 2.74

82.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.89 PEN 3.03

11.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.86 PEN 2.94

-40.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$4.05 PEN 13.77

8.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$5.77 PEN 19.63

235.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.42 PEN 4.83

25.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.70 PEN 5.80

59.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.59 PEN 2.00

132.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$16.72 PEN 56.9

-31.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.75 PEN 9.35

9.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$2.05 PEN 6.97

-51.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.52 PEN 18.79

155.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.36 PEN 4.62

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$16.9K PEN 57.7K

66.40%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.6K PEN 90.4K

23.87%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$74.4 PEN 253

63.66%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.19 PEN 27.85

65.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$20.99 PEN 71.4

-12.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$35.41 PEN 120

70.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$5.65 PEN 19.21

203.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.07 PEN 13.84

113.51%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$106 PEN 360

555.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$2,029 PEN 6,902

673.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$69.7 PEN 237

-14.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$13.96 PEN 47.48

149.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$33.78 PEN 115

239.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$32.69 PEN 111

154.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$366 PEN 1,246

67.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$254 PEN 865

71.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$602 PEN 2,047

248.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$477 PEN 1,624

216.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,138 PEN 3,872

229.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$834 PEN 2,837

213.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$539 PEN 1,834

-5.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.7

-58.03%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $366 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Trujillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $160 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Trujillo earns 6% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $366 in Trujillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $106 in Trujillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $784 in Trujillo versus $1,265 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 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.