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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $949 in Ushuaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,565 in Ushuaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,182 in Ushuaia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than in Ushuaia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Ushuaia 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$10.41 ARS 15.7K

-56.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$33.57 ARS 50.6K

-2.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$8.78 ARS 13.2K

1.37%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.79 ARS 4,204

0.36%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$1.69 ARS 2,550

-47.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$1.50 ARS 2,261

-67.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.17 ARS 3,275

10.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.04 ARS 4,580

22.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.30 ARS 1,966

37.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.63 ARS 2,461

-11.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$2.03 ARS 3,064

-22.17%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.25 ARS 3,387

-5.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$10.27 ARS 15.5K

93.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$6.36 ARS 9,592

-46.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.25 ARS 13.9K

22.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.04 ARS 3,073

44.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$2.12 ARS 3,201

-18.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.26 ARS 1,893

84.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$2.61 ARS 3,941

-20.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.15 ARS 1,732

27.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.20 ARS 1,803

13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$1.25 ARS 1,892

-12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.48 ARS 2,238

-61.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.17 ARS 4,775

34.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$4.97 ARS 7,491

270.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$2.09 ARS 3,152

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$3.14 ARS 4,740

-7.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.78 ARS 1,172

184.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.53 ARS 2,310

98.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.85 ARS 1,275

25.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$5.84 ARS 8,804

-32.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.11 ARS 1,677

34.23%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$27.0K ARS 40.8M

0.34%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$30.1K ARS 45.4M

-8.75%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$67.2 ARS 101.4K

52.89%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$17.39 ARS 26.2K

-36.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$22.81 ARS 34.4K

-23.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$26.14 ARS 39.4K

104.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$13.70 ARS 20.7K

-18.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$6.10 ARS 9,199

22.62%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$221 ARS 333.7K

151.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$2,682 ARS 4.0M

342.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$73.1 ARS 110.2K

-12.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$70.9 ARS 107.0K

-59.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$114 ARS 171.6K

-15.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$110 ARS 166.5K

-18.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$342 ARS 515.6K

113.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$241 ARS 363.3K

107.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$681 ARS 1.0M

207.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$530 ARS 799.5K

128.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,912 ARS 2.9M

88.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,570 ARS 2.4M

60.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ushuaia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $342 in Ushuaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Ushuaia. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $233, with Ushuaia cheaper for home cooking.

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 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,880 in Phuket and $1,423 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: $730 in Phuket versus $342 in Ushuaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $221 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 $34.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $949 in Ushuaia versus $1,253 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.