Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Villa María

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Villa María: $1,207 and $1,245 a month, rent and utilities included.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Villa María
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Villa María Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Villa María

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Villa María

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 Villa María actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,245 in Villa María.

Phuket $1,207
Villa María $1,245

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $2,044 in Villa María.

Phuket $2,037
Villa María $2,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $2,842 in Villa María.

Phuket $2,867
Villa María $2,842

Living in Phuket costs roughly 3% less than in Villa María, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Villa María 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$14.53 ARS 22.1K

-68.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$57.4 ARS 87.2K

-43.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$14.75 ARS 22.4K

-42.03%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$4.29 ARS 6,517

-36.60%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$2.03 ARS 3,079

-53.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.62 ARS 2,462

-69.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$4.09 ARS 6,212

-36.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.42 ARS 6,712

-13.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.17 ARS 1,770

48.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.92 ARS 2,917

-25.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.71 ARS 2,596

-10.53%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.80 ARS 4,251

-22.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$10.42 ARS 15.8K

83.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$7.56 ARS 11.5K

-56.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$13.07 ARS 19.8K

-14.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.17 ARS 3,296

35.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$2.52 ARS 3,819

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.46 ARS 2,213

57.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$2.35 ARS 3,572

-9.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.10 ARS 1,666

39.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.90 ARS 1,360

51.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.52 ARS 2,308

-63.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.42 ARS 5,188

24.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$4.70 ARS 7,139

287.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.76 ARS 2,672

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$3.64 ARS 5,516

-23.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.93 ARS 1,407

138.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.41 ARS 2,145

106.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.17 ARS 1,779

27.35%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$28.4K ARS 43.1M

-6.12%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$29.1K ARS 44.1M

-8.12%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$121 ARS 183.0K

-17.58%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$16.55 ARS 25.1K

-31.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$23.71 ARS 36.0K

-26.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$27.73 ARS 42.1K

88.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$10.42 ARS 15.8K

-27.35%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$297 ARS 450.7K

87.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$91.4 ARS 138.7K

-31.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$132 ARS 200.5K

-27.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$132 ARS 199.9K

-33.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$452 ARS 686.0K

61.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$365 ARS 553.7K

26.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$933 ARS 1.4M

124.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$819 ARS 1.2M

49.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Villa María: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Villa María

$365 29.3% 20.7% $95

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Villa María

$250 * 20.1% 6.7% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Villa María

$161 12.9% 25.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Villa María

$160 * 12.8% 28.9% $36

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Villa María

$256 20.6% 111% $135

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Villa María

$49 3.9% 28% $19

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Villa María

$5.1 * 0.4% 86.8% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $452 in Villa María. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $57.0 in Villa María. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $250, with Villa María cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇷 Villa María

🕒 Local time

09:09 9:09 AM

23:09 11:09 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

80,006

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Villa María 16,690 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Villa María

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 Villa María: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and utilities. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,811 in Phuket and $1,867 in Villa María 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: $729 in Phuket versus $452 in Villa María. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $558 in Phuket versus $297 in Villa María. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $57.0 in Villa María. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,245 in Villa María, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Villa María. 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 Villa María, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Villa María 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 3% less than in Villa María. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.