Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Villa María Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Villa María

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $963 in Villa María.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,591 in Villa María.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,219 in Villa María.

Living in Phuket is roughly 28% more expensive than Villa María, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Villa María 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.66 ARS 14.9K

-56.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$34.13 ARS 47.6K

37.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$9.29 ARS 13.0K

-4.84%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.66 ARS 3,705

12.78%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.63 ARS 2,276

-54.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.56 ARS 2,181

-76.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.06 ARS 2,869

18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.91 ARS 4,065

24.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.31 ARS 1,824

72.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.58 ARS 2,200

16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.98 ARS 2,760

13.13%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.25 ARS 3,145

3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.20 ARS 14.2K

92.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$6.34 ARS 8,846

-42.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.57 ARS 13.4K

36.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.04 ARS 2,840

66.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$2.13 ARS 2,967

-23.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.33 ARS 1,853

81.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.56 ARS 3,578

-20.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.19 ARS 1,655

31.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.21 ARS 1,686

23.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.32 ARS 1,835

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$1.43 ARS 2,000

-65.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.07 ARS 4,279

44.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$4.69 ARS 6,546

302.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.98 ARS 2,762

-10.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$3.05 ARS 4,249

-9.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.77 ARS 1,079

81.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.48 ARS 2,068

110.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.93 ARS 1,295

7.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.06 ARS 8,453

132.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.06 ARS 1,474

27.36%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$27.7K ARS 38.6M

-1.83%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$30.4K ARS 42.4M

8.32%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$65.7 ARS 91.7K

90.26%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$16.86 ARS 23.5K

-19.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$22.27 ARS 31.1K

-16.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$26.33 ARS 36.7K

133.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$13.71 ARS 19.1K

22.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.13 ARS 8,554

49.92%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$216 ARS 301.4K

223.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,746 ARS 3.8M

467.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$74.7 ARS 104.2K

-22.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$68.2 ARS 95.2K

-48.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$117 ARS 163.0K

-3.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$111 ARS 155.1K

-22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$334 ARS 466.6K

84.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$237 ARS 330.1K

88.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$669 ARS 933.0K

206.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$533 ARS 743.4K

180.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$2,065 ARS 2.9M

82.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$758 ARS 1.1M

249.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$489 ARS 682.3K

7.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

58.5

-90.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Villa María: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $334 in Villa María. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Villa María for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $232 per month, with Villa María 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 Villa María: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Villa María is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 7% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $334 in Villa María. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $216 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 Villa María – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $963 in Villa María versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Villa María but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Villa María the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Villa María is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, 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 Villa María gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.