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 $1,618 in Varadero.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,999 in Varadero.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,380 in Varadero.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 22% less than in Varadero, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Varadero is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$5.88 CUP 141

-20.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$47.70 CUP 1,145

-4.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.18 CUP 220

-8.17%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.03 CUP 24.66

184.47%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.97 CUP 47.22

-64.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.93 CUP 22.24

-60.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.80 CUP 91.2

-36.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.66 CUP 63.8

39.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.94 CUP 70.7

-24.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.31 CUP 31.47

39.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.47 CUP 35.25

47.62%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.44 CUP 58.5

-9.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.13 CUP 147

222.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.02 CUP 120

-27.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$12.14 CUP 291

11.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$4.92 CUP 118

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.58 CUP 13.85

177.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.02 CUP 24.52

136.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.14 CUP 27.42

82.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.89 CUP 21.33

71.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$5.67 CUP 136

-73.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.35 CUP 8.49

182.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.55 CUP 13.09

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$3.79 CUP 91.1

16.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$5.72 CUP 137

238.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.80 CUP 19.26

122.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$0.72 CUP 17.27

276.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$19.88 CUP 477

-42.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$2.01 CUP 48.34

50.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.01 CUP 24.25

-1.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$20.13 CUP 483

-29.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.32 CUP 31.78

3.03%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$69.8K CUP 1.7M

-59.60%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$78.4K CUP 1.9M

-58.04%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$39.63 CUP 951

207.09%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$39.25 CUP 942

-65.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$218 CUP 5,222

-91.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$40.30 CUP 967

49.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$14.98 CUP 359

14.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$0.99 CUP 23.67

777.78%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$90.6 CUP 2,173

665.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$14.9K CUP 357.4K

5.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$40.15 CUP 964

48.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$29.72 CUP 713

16.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$74.2 CUP 1,780

54.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$84.4 CUP 2,026

-1.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$404 CUP 9,687

51.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$797 CUP 19.1K

-45.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$1,206 CUP 28.9K

73.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$638 CUP 15.3K

136.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$387 CUP 9,293

868.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$352 CUP 8,437

644.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$19.62 CUP 471

2489.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-64.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Varadero: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $404 in Varadero. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2490% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $48.00 in Varadero. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $215, with Varadero 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 Varadero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 2490% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $404 in Varadero. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $90.6 in Varadero. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Varadero pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,618 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 28% less than in Varadero. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.