Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ushuaia

For one person, living is cheaper in Ushuaia: $957 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Ushuaia
Learn more

Ushuaia Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Ushuaia

🇦🇷 Argentina

$957

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ushuaia

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 Ushuaia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $957 in Ushuaia.

Phuket $1,207
Ushuaia $957

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,570 in Ushuaia.

Phuket $2,037
Ushuaia $1,570

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $2,183 in Ushuaia.

Phuket $2,867
Ushuaia $2,183

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than in Ushuaia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Ushuaia 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$10.38 ARS 15.8K

-55.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$33.08 ARS 50.2K

-1.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$9.06 ARS 13.7K

-5.63%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.78 ARS 4,224

-2.16%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.67 ARS 2,528

-43.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.54 ARS 2,330

-68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.16 ARS 3,274

19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.04 ARS 4,610

25.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.31 ARS 1,984

32.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.57 ARS 2,388

-8.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$2.02 ARS 3,069

-24.26%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.27 ARS 3,449

-4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$10.15 ARS 15.4K

88.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$6.35 ARS 9,633

-48.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$9.23 ARS 14.0K

20.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.01 ARS 3,052

46.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.06 ARS 3,132

-18.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.27 ARS 1,933

81.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$2.62 ARS 3,980

-18.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.17 ARS 1,779

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.19 ARS 1,809

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.32 ARS 2,005

-15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.45 ARS 2,197

-62.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.11 ARS 4,716

36.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$5.02 ARS 7,625

262.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.97 ARS 2,994

-11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.02 ARS 4,583

-7.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.77 ARS 1,173

188.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.47 ARS 2,224

97.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.86 ARS 1,308

17.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$5.86 ARS 8,894

-34.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.10 ARS 1,671

35.45%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$27.9K ARS 42.3M

-4.33%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$30.4K ARS 46.1M

-12.01%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$65.8 ARS 99.8K

51.04%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$17.24 ARS 26.2K

-34.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$22.31 ARS 33.9K

-22.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$26.50 ARS 40.2K

97.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$13.68 ARS 20.8K

-20.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$6.16 ARS 9,341

22.89%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$220 ARS 333.3K

154.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$2,731 ARS 4.1M

320.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$75.1 ARS 113.9K

-16.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$70.4 ARS 106.8K

-59.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$114 ARS 173.1K

-15.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$111 ARS 168.4K

-20.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$342 ARS 519.2K

113.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$233 ARS 354.2K

97.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$694 ARS 1.1M

201.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$537 ARS 814.2K

127.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,848 ARS 2.8M

87.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,594 ARS 2.4M

56.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

58.5

-90.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ushuaia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Ushuaia

$233 24.4% 49.3% $227

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Ushuaia

$231 24.1% 13.6% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Ushuaia

$105 11% 17.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ushuaia

$167 17.4% 34.4% $43

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Ushuaia

$173 18.1% 42.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Ushuaia

$39 4.1% 42.4% $29

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Ushuaia

$8.9 * 0.9% 77.2% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $342 in Ushuaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Ushuaia. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $231, with Ushuaia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇷 Ushuaia

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

11:47 11:47 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

79,538

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ushuaia 14,670 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ushuaia

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 Ushuaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ushuaia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,811 in Phuket and $1,436 in Ushuaia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $729 in Phuket versus $342 in Ushuaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $220 in Ushuaia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ushuaia – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $957 in Ushuaia versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ushuaia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ushuaia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.