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: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,622 in Varadero.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,010 in Varadero.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $2,399 in Varadero.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 23% 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

$4.55 ฿153

$5.86 CUP 141

-22.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$48.14 CUP 1,155

-4.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$8.81 CUP 211

0.34%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$0.98 CUP 23.41

212.24%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.99 CUP 47.68

-63.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.99 CUP 23.73

-59.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$3.68 CUP 88.3

-33.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.54 CUP 61.0

48.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$2.99 CUP 71.7

-24.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.24 CUP 29.83

45.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.50 CUP 36.03

50.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.41 CUP 57.8

-6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$6.17 CUP 148

216.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$5.10 CUP 122

-28.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$11.93 CUP 286

9.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$4.98 CUP 120

-35.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.57 CUP 13.79

184.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$0.98 CUP 23.46

142.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.14 CUP 27.28

78.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.92 CUP 22.05

66.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$5.48 CUP 132

-72.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.38 CUP 9.19

157.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.57 CUP 13.75

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$3.61 CUP 86.5

22.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.66 CUP 136

223.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$0.87 CUP 20.92

113.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$0.77 CUP 18.60

248.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$19.93 CUP 478

-41.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$2.06 CUP 49.39

50.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.97 CUP 23.39

7.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$20.18 CUP 484

-30.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.33 CUP 31.95

-1.50%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$68.7K CUP 1.6M

-59.51%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$78.4K CUP 1.9M

-57.65%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$39.57 CUP 950

209.43%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$39.46 CUP 947

-65.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$219 CUP 5,245

-91.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$39.75 CUP 954

52.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$15.08 CUP 362

12.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$0.99 CUP 23.68

816.16%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$90.8 CUP 2,178

678.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$15.1K CUP 361.5K

4.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$39.74 CUP 954

47.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$30.60 CUP 734

15.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$74.0 CUP 1,776

56.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$86.2 CUP 2,069

-2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$407 CUP 9,766

53.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$796 CUP 19.1K

-44.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$1,200 CUP 28.8K

70.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$640 CUP 15.3K

133.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$389 CUP 9,342

794.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$355 CUP 8,529

625.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$19.38 CUP 465

2479.21%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Varadero: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $407 in Varadero. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2479% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $48.00 in Varadero. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 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 Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2479% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $407 in Varadero. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $90.8 in Varadero. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Varadero pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,622 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 30% less than in Varadero. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.