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: $1,223 in Phuket versus $978 in Villa María.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,579 in Villa María.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $2,180 in Villa María.

Living in Phuket is roughly 25% more expensive than Villa María, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Villa María 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$10.34 ARS 14.9K

-56.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$33.74 ARS 48.5K

38.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$9.17 ARS 13.2K

-7.42%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$2.76 ARS 3,967

11.59%

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

$0.68 ฿22.07

$1.71 ARS 2,461

-60.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$1.56 ARS 2,242

-76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$2.07 ARS 2,973

17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.93 ARS 4,209

23.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.30 ARS 1,870

68.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.56 ARS 2,243

16.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$1.95 ARS 2,803

14.36%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$2.17 ARS 3,119

3.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$10.28 ARS 14.8K

90.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$6.04 ARS 8,671

-38.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$9.33 ARS 13.4K

44.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.96 ARS 2,818

71.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$2.08 ARS 2,981

-22.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$1.25 ARS 1,799

92.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$2.52 ARS 3,616

-21.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$1.15 ARS 1,648

33.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$1.21 ARS 1,737

19.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$1.28 ARS 1,838

-21.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$1.48 ARS 2,121

-67.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.16 ARS 4,537

35.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$4.54 ARS 6,518

321.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.98 ARS 2,846

-7.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$3.19 ARS 4,584

-14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.77 ARS 1,100

84.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.47 ARS 2,119

104.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.93 ARS 1,334

12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$5.91 ARS 8,493

135.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.05 ARS 1,507

22.86%

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

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$27.9K ARS 40.1M

0.40%

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

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$30.8K ARS 44.3M

8.71%

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

$122 ฿3,964

$66.6 ARS 95.7K

83.04%

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

$13.93 ฿453

$17.00 ARS 24.4K

-18.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$22.64 ARS 32.5K

-16.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$25.73 ARS 37.0K

138.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$13.75 ARS 19.7K

22.47%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$6.31 ARS 9,062

40.89%

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

$691 ฿22.5K

$222 ARS 319.3K

210.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$2,664 ARS 3.8M

506.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$73.1 ARS 105.0K

-20.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$68.7 ARS 98.7K

-48.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$117 ARS 167.6K

-2.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$112 ARS 160.6K

-25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$342 ARS 490.9K

77.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$239 ARS 343.6K

87.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$695 ARS 998.2K

192.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$532 ARS 764.4K

180.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$2,062 ARS 3.0M

73.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$742 ARS 1.1M

248.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$477 ARS 685.0K

5.85%

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: June 13, 2026

Last update for Villa María: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $342 in Villa María. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 6% 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 $228 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 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 6% 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: $607 in Phuket versus $342 in Villa María. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $222 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 $978 in Villa María versus $1,223 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 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.