Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Varadero

For one person, living is cheaper in Varadero: $1,172 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Phuket despite lower rent and utilities.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Varadero
Learn more

Varadero Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Varadero

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Varadero

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Varadero actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,172 in Varadero.

Phuket $1,294
Varadero $1,172

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,542 in Varadero.

Phuket $2,204
Varadero $1,542

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,913 in Varadero.

Phuket $3,115
Varadero $1,913

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Varadero, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Varadero 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$3.51 CUP 84.2

25.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,078

$20.38 CUP 489

58.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿290

$4.89 CUP 117

77.91%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿90.9

$1.06 CUP 25.43

156.60%

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

$0.93 ฿31.06

$1.57 CUP 37.69

-40.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$1.01 CUP 24.16

-50.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.17 CUP 28.06

116.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.05 CUP 49.13

77.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$2.68 CUP 64.2

-35.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.41 CUP 33.94

2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$1.52 CUP 36.40

-1.32%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.5

$2.22 CUP 53.3

-2.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿637

$4.50 CUP 108

324.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿113

$4.53 CUP 109

-24.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$8.30 CUP 199

31.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.2

$3.48 CUP 83.6

-15.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$1.04 CUP 25.03

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.2

$1.51 CUP 36.29

45.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿70.9

$1.53 CUP 36.63

38.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.68

$2.13 CUP 51.2

-31.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.66

$2.68 CUP 64.4

-48.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.91

$0.67 CUP 16.11

61.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$0.53 CUP 12.75

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$1.69 CUP 40.45

162.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿609

$5.34 CUP 128

241.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$0.90 CUP 21.67

96.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.2

$2.13 CUP 51.0

35.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.11 CUP 2.75

1218.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,832

$15.49 CUP 372

254.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$1.98 CUP 47.44

-23.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.90

$0.37 CUP 8.80

110.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$19.69 CUP 473

-80.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.65

$1.26 CUP 30.32

18.25%

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

$26.9K ฿897.3K

$70.3K CUP 1.7M

-61.75%

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

$26.3K ฿879.4K

$80.7K CUP 1.9M

-67.35%

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

$97.8 ฿3,265

$40.71 CUP 977

140.26%

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

$11.29 ฿377

$38.72 CUP 929

-70.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿574

$90.1 CUP 2,162

-80.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,281

$40.51 CUP 972

68.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$14.73 CUP 354

-25.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$0.88 CUP 21.18

744.32%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$88.6 CUP 2,126

498.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿626.9K

$12.5K CUP 299.9K

50.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,059

$39.43 CUP 946

56.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿943

$30.19 CUP 725

-6.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,204

$76.3 CUP 1,831

25.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,898

$67.5 CUP 1,619

28.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$494 CUP 11.9K

45.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$574 CUP 13.8K

-11.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.1K

$1,190 CUP 28.5K

63.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.6K

$642 CUP 15.4K

117.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿139.9K

$398 CUP 9,548

953.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.1K

$343 CUP 8,238

860.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$19.44 CUP 467

2428.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.1

-38.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Varadero: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Varadero

$574 49% 12.8% $65

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Varadero

$195 16.6% 27.1% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Varadero

$170 14.5% 34.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Varadero

$96 8.2% 21.8% $27

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Varadero

$76 6.5% 36.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Varadero

$42 3.6% 49.2% $41

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Varadero

$20 1.7% 70.1% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $494 in Varadero. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays about 25 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $20 in Varadero for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $195 per month, with Varadero cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇺 Varadero

🕒 Local time

23:44 11:44 PM

11:44 11:44 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

27,170

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.97 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Varadero 16,560 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Varadero

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Varadero is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Phuket is about 25 times higher, 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: $721 in Phuket versus $494 in Varadero. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $89 in Varadero. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Varadero is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Varadero gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.