Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ushuaia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ushuaia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $972 in Ushuaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,567 in Ushuaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,163 in Ushuaia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Ushuaia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ushuaia 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$10.35 ARS 15.3K

-56.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$33.32 ARS 49.3K

38.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$8.83 ARS 13.1K

0.11%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.80 ARS 4,133

9.29%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.65 ARS 2,438

-55.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$1.54 ARS 2,280

-74.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.12 ARS 3,139

14.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.95 ARS 4,364

28.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.25 ARS 1,849

80.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.64 ARS 2,419

10.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.93 ARS 2,854

16.58%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.24 ARS 3,305

0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.18 ARS 15.0K

91.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.29 ARS 9,291

-41.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$9.19 ARS 13.6K

42.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.94 ARS 2,869

66.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$2.13 ARS 3,149

-23.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.26 ARS 1,867

88.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$2.51 ARS 3,712

-19.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.14 ARS 1,680

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.25 ARS 1,844

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.31 ARS 1,930

-25.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.43 ARS 2,113

-63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.22 ARS 4,752

37.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$4.98 ARS 7,368

267.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$2.00 ARS 2,954

-7.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.14 ARS 4,648

-14.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.82 ARS 1,219

71.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.51 ARS 2,237

105.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.90 ARS 1,330

15.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$6.05 ARS 8,947

133.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.10 ARS 1,631

19.09%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$27.2K ARS 40.2M

2.39%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$30.1K ARS 44.5M

10.39%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$66.2 ARS 97.8K

84.98%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$16.82 ARS 24.9K

-19.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$22.35 ARS 33.0K

-16.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$26.07 ARS 38.5K

132.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$13.59 ARS 20.1K

24.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.05 ARS 8,935

49.92%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$222 ARS 328.6K

217.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$2,671 ARS 3.9M

491.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$73.1 ARS 108.1K

-19.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$68.9 ARS 101.8K

-48.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$114 ARS 168.0K

1.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$111 ARS 163.4K

-24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$333 ARS 492.8K

87.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$233 ARS 344.3K

91.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$695 ARS 1.0M

193.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$542 ARS 800.4K

175.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,898 ARS 2.8M

83.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,561 ARS 2.3M

65.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

58.5

-90.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ushuaia: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $333 in Ushuaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Ushuaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $230 per month, with Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ushuaia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $1,457 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: $626 in Phuket versus $333 in Ushuaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $222 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $972 in Ushuaia versus $1,250 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 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.