Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Trujillo

For one person, living is cheaper in Trujillo: $865 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Trujillo
Learn more

Trujillo Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Trujillo

🇵🇪 Peru

$865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Trujillo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Trujillo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $865 in Trujillo.

Phuket $1,278
Trujillo $865

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,339 in Trujillo.

Phuket $2,216
Trujillo $1,339

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,813 in Trujillo.

Phuket $3,154
Trujillo $1,813

Living in Phuket is roughly 48% more expensive than in Trujillo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Trujillo 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.46 PEN 11.93

29.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$23.58 PEN 81.3

37.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.20 PEN 24.82

22.36%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.24 PEN 11.17

-12.65%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.97 PEN 3.33

-10.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.65 PEN 2.25

-24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$2.06 PEN 7.10

24.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.46 PEN 11.94

6.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.38 PEN 4.75

20.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$2.03 PEN 7.01

-28.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.14 PEN 3.94

31.58%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.97 PEN 13.69

-47.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$7.73 PEN 26.66

146.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$6.63 PEN 22.86

-50.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$9.20 PEN 31.72

18.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$1.66 PEN 5.74

76.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.57 PEN 1.96

196.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.56 PEN 1.95

301.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$0.83 PEN 2.87

150.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.93 PEN 3.21

62.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.17 PEN 4.05

17.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$1.24 PEN 4.28

-13.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.13 PEN 3.89

-53.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.46 PEN 15.38

-5.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.81 PEN 20.04

223.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.72 PEN 5.92

5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$1.63 PEN 5.63

74.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.55 PEN 1.91

163.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$17.35 PEN 59.8

226.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.42 PEN 8.34

24.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$2.14 PEN 7.39

-52.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$5.94 PEN 20.49

-37.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.67 PEN 5.76

-11.98%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$17.2K PEN 59.4K

55.34%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$27.9K PEN 96.3K

-4.41%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$98.2 PEN 338

-1.86%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$13.20 PEN 45.50

-14.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$27.11 PEN 93.4

-37.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$38.89 PEN 134

72.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$5.73 PEN 19.77

87.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$4.32 PEN 14.88

73.61%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$108 PEN 374

338.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$2,063 PEN 7,113

445.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$72.8 PEN 251

-14.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$14.34 PEN 49.42

98.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$47.05 PEN 162

100.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$42.87 PEN 148

100.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$376 PEN 1,297

90.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$251 PEN 866

95.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$734 PEN 2,531

162.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$511 PEN 1,763

179.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,142 PEN 3,936

265.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$558 PEN 1,923

-9.94%

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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Trujillo

$251 29% 48.8% $240

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Trujillo

$204 23.6% 23.4% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Trujillo

$138 16% 11.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Trujillo

$80 9.2% 34.6% $42

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Trujillo

$112 12.9% 8.1% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Trujillo

$48 5.5% 42.2% $35

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Trujillo

$33 3.8% 53.7% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $376 in Trujillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trujillo pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $24 in Trujillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $204 per month, with Trujillo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇪 Trujillo

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

18:45 6:45 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

314,939

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.261 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.261 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Trujillo 19,730 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Trujillo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 32% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $376 in Trujillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $108 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 $865 in Trujillo versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Trujillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.