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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $979 in Villa María.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,584 in Villa María.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,188 in Villa María.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Villa María, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Villa María 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$10.41 ARS 15.5K

-56.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$33.73 ARS 50.1K

35.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$9.19 ARS 13.6K

-4.68%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.68 ARS 3,975

10.82%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.64 ARS 2,429

-57.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$1.50 ARS 2,229

-74.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$2.08 ARS 3,089

21.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.06 ARS 4,548

22.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.30 ARS 1,937

65.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.62 ARS 2,404

12.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$2.04 ARS 3,035

6.86%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.27 ARS 3,378

-0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$10.21 ARS 15.2K

95.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$6.09 ARS 9,037

-40.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$9.28 ARS 13.8K

46.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.94 ARS 2,874

67.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$2.15 ARS 3,191

-23.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.31 ARS 1,950

77.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.53 ARS 3,760

-18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.18 ARS 1,751

31.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.20 ARS 1,776

21.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.31 ARS 1,951

-25.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$1.43 ARS 2,126

-66.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$3.06 ARS 4,546

42.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$4.69 ARS 6,958

295.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$2.00 ARS 2,967

-7.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$3.10 ARS 4,597

-14.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.83 ARS 1,235

71.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.47 ARS 2,178

115.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.87 ARS 1,291

18.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.83 ARS 8,660

138.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.11 ARS 1,644

20.72%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$27.7K ARS 41.1M

0.37%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$30.6K ARS 45.5M

8.94%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$66.3 ARS 98.4K

85.68%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$17.42 ARS 25.9K

-20.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$22.21 ARS 33.0K

-17.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$26.01 ARS 38.6K

133.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$13.72 ARS 20.4K

25.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$6.14 ARS 9,123

44.46%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$216 ARS 321.4K

217.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,696 ARS 4.0M

485.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$74.2 ARS 110.2K

-20.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$70.5 ARS 104.7K

-50.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$115 ARS 170.1K

0.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$111 ARS 165.3K

-24.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$333 ARS 494.6K

86.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$233 ARS 345.6K

91.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$694 ARS 1.0M

193.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$545 ARS 809.9K

174.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$2,315 ARS 3.4M

49.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,515 ARS 2.3M

67.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$476 ARS 707.5K

3.61%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Villa María: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $333 in Villa María. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 4% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Villa María for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $230 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 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $333 in Villa María. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 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 $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $979 in Villa María versus $1,264 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 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.