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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $976 in Ushuaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,590 in Ushuaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,203 in Ushuaia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 30% more expensive than Ushuaia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$10.47 ARS 15.1K

-55.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$34.29 ARS 49.3K

32.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$8.86 ARS 12.7K

-4.85%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.66 ARS 3,822

10.15%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.65 ARS 2,374

-58.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.55 ARS 2,233

-76.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.13 ARS 3,064

13.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.96 ARS 4,262

25.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.25 ARS 1,802

78.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.62 ARS 2,325

12.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$2.02 ARS 2,903

7.43%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.24 ARS 3,218

-1.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.09 ARS 14.5K

95.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$6.26 ARS 9,004

-42.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$9.43 ARS 13.6K

43.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.93 ARS 2,779

69.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$2.07 ARS 2,974

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.26 ARS 1,814

91.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.60 ARS 3,741

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.14 ARS 1,643

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.25 ARS 1,804

18.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.26 ARS 1,811

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.49 ARS 2,137

-65.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.20 ARS 4,610

37.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$5.03 ARS 7,229

285.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.06 ARS 2,964

-13.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$3.15 ARS 4,531

-13.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.84 ARS 1,205

63.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.53 ARS 2,195

97.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.85 ARS 1,221

16.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.13 ARS 8,811

130.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.09 ARS 1,574

24.77%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$27.1K ARS 38.9M

4.20%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.3K ARS 43.5M

8.68%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$67.0 ARS 96.4K

81.67%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$17.12 ARS 24.6K

-20.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$22.49 ARS 32.3K

-18.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$26.64 ARS 38.3K

126.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$13.91 ARS 20.0K

23.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$6.15 ARS 8,850

41.30%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$217 ARS 311.5K

220.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$2,734 ARS 3.9M

473.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$73.9 ARS 106.3K

-19.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$69.5 ARS 99.9K

-49.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$117 ARS 167.9K

-1.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$112 ARS 161.2K

-25.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$342 ARS 491.3K

79.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$241 ARS 346.3K

81.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$685 ARS 985.9K

205.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$538 ARS 773.2K

180.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,841 ARS 2.6M

103.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,572 ARS 2.3M

66.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ushuaia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $342 in Ushuaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Ushuaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $231 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 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,465 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: $613 in Phuket versus $342 in Ushuaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $217 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 $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $976 in Ushuaia versus $1,265 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 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.