Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varadero Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varadero

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,345 in Varadero.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,764 in Varadero.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,183 in Varadero.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 6% less than in Varadero, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Varadero 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$4.40 CUP 106

5.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$19.65 CUP 472

63.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.90 CUP 166

25.80%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.55 CUP 37.31

87.10%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$2.00 CUP 48.11

-58.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.91 CUP 21.96

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.57 CUP 61.7

-3.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.49 CUP 83.7

6.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$2.95 CUP 70.7

-35.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.51 CUP 36.15

-6.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.45 CUP 34.77

11.72%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.15 CUP 51.5

4.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$5.83 CUP 140

240.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.54 CUP 109

-23.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$11.67 CUP 280

-2.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$3.41 CUP 81.7

-14.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.01 CUP 24.13

70.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.57 CUP 37.64

44.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.60 CUP 38.43

33.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$2.14 CUP 51.5

-31.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$3.89 CUP 93.4

-63.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.71 CUP 17.10

54.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.57 CUP 13.80

5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$3.78 CUP 90.8

14.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$5.55 CUP 133

235.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$0.89 CUP 21.37

102.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.10 CUP 50.4

41.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.10 CUP 2.47

2150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$15.38 CUP 369

52.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.98 CUP 47.48

56.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.02 CUP 24.36

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$20.04 CUP 481

-80.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.33 CUP 31.93

7.52%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$70.0K CUP 1.7M

-60.33%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$79.5K CUP 1.9M

-66.06%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$40.56 CUP 973

158.38%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$39.41 CUP 946

-71.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$220 CUP 5,269

-92.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$39.82 CUP 956

36.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$14.85 CUP 356

-22.96%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$1.01 CUP 24.34

670.30%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$91.7 CUP 2,201

528.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$14.7K CUP 353.3K

-21.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$39.25 CUP 942

62.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$30.25 CUP 726

-3.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$74.5 CUP 1,788

29.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$84.9 CUP 2,038

5.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$508 CUP 12.2K

44.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$568 CUP 13.6K

-11.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,186 CUP 28.5K

79.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$646 CUP 15.5K

93.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$390 CUP 9,363

805.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$356 CUP 8,555

635.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$19.05 CUP 457

2564.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-62.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Varadero: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $508 in Varadero. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2564% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Varadero for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $215 per month, with Varadero 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 Varadero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2564% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $508 in Varadero. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $91.7 in Varadero. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Varadero pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,345 in Varadero, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Varadero. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Varadero, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Varadero 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Varadero. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.