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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $779 in Trujillo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,173 in Trujillo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,567 in Trujillo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than in Trujillo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Trujillo 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.24 PEN 10.99

40.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$13.70 PEN 46.43

237.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.73 PEN 22.80

31.35%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.98 PEN 10.08

2.68%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$0.89 PEN 3.02

-17.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.59 PEN 2.00

-32.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.92 PEN 6.51

26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.30 PEN 11.17

14.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.05 PEN 3.55

115.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.77 PEN 6.01

2.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.13 PEN 3.81

99.12%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$3.88 PEN 13.14

-42.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.47 PEN 21.94

-43.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.52 PEN 25.47

73.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.17 PEN 3.97

176.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.58 PEN 1.96

179.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.58 PEN 1.95

310.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$0.71 PEN 2.40

185.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.92 PEN 3.13

66.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.82 PEN 2.78

82.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.91 PEN 3.09

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.92 PEN 3.11

-43.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$4.27 PEN 14.48

3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.79 PEN 19.61

216.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.41 PEN 4.76

31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$1.65 PEN 5.59

62.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.64 PEN 2.16

120.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$16.38 PEN 55.5

-28.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.80 PEN 9.48

11.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.99 PEN 6.74

-47.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$5.66 PEN 19.20

149.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.36 PEN 4.61

-3.68%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$16.9K PEN 57.2K

64.66%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.2K PEN 88.8K

26.79%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$76.6 PEN 259

59.93%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.48 PEN 28.75

60.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$21.22 PEN 71.9

-11.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$36.00 PEN 122

68.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$5.39 PEN 18.28

215.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.16 PEN 14.09

118.03%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$102 PEN 346

591.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$1,963 PEN 6,653

705.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$70.8 PEN 240

-17.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$14.00 PEN 47.43

152.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$32.71 PEN 111

252.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$32.74 PEN 111

155.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$365 PEN 1,237

71.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$257 PEN 870

73.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$602 PEN 2,040

238.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$489 PEN 1,657

205.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,138 PEN 3,856

206.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$821 PEN 2,783

213.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$524 PEN 1,777

-4.68%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Trujillo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $365 in Trujillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trujillo pays 5% 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 $14.00 in Trujillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $159 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 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $365 in Trujillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $102 in Trujillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $779 in Trujillo versus $1,250 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 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.