Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Villarrica Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Villarrica

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $681 in Villarrica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $855 in Villarrica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,030 in Villarrica.

Living in Phuket is roughly 86% more expensive than Villarrica, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Villarrica 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.79 ₲23.1K

24.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$15.04 ₲91.6K

201.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$4.53 ₲27.6K

86.09%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.23 ₲7,524

138.21%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.61 ₲3,695

13.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.40 ₲2,431

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.05 ₲6,372

129.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$0.93 ₲5,664

300.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.91 ₲5,550

145.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$0.81 ₲4,954

125.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$0.91 ₲5,528

138.46%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$1.65 ₲10.0K

33.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$5.55 ₲33.8K

255.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.97 ₲18.1K

22.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.35 ₲38.7K

113.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.96 ₲12.0K

67.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$0.78 ₲4,765

106.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$0.64 ₲3,902

276.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.65 ₲10.1K

26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.02 ₲6,227

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$0.62 ₲3,793

138.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.55 ₲3,357

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.53 ₲3,226

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$0.84 ₲5,110

425.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.48 ₲51.7K

128.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.50 ₲3,068

256.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.35 ₲8,206

100.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$0.60 ₲3,672

403.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.79 ₲4,810

25.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.79 ₲23.1K

272.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$0.89 ₲5,404

52.81%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$14.8K ₲90.4M

90.11%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$24.1K ₲147.0M

36.37%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$22.93 ₲139.8K

430.75%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.68 ₲83.4K

-0.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$14.91 ₲90.9K

22.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$24.92 ₲151.9K

141.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$2.54 ₲15.5K

574.80%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.93 ₲30.1K

76.27%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$31.72 ₲193.3K

2086.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$3,230 ₲19.7M

385.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$49.25 ₲300.2K

20.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$30.91 ₲188.4K

12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$73.4 ₲447.5K

56.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$51.3 ₲312.4K

62.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$287 ₲1.8M

52.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$187 ₲1.1M

1022.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$149 ₲910.9K

909.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$541 ₲3.3M

-6.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.17

-47.59%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Villarrica: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Villarrica pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Villarrica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $138 per month, with Villarrica 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 Villarrica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Villarrica is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Villarrica earns 6% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $31.72 in Villarrica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Villarrica – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $681 in Villarrica versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Villarrica but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Villarrica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Villarrica 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 Villarrica 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 Villarrica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.