Cost of Living Comparison Between Pisco and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Pisco and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $683 in Pisco versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,046 in Pisco versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,409 in Pisco versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Pisco costs roughly 45% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pisco 50% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 PEN 14.85

$4.41 ฿147

-0.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.60 PEN 120

$32.26 ฿1,074

10.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 PEN 23.38

$8.93 ฿297

-22.40%

Cappuccino

$3.42 PEN 11.53

$2.90 ฿96.4

17.93%

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

$1.13 PEN 3.82

$0.88 ฿29.30

28.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 PEN 2.10

$0.48 ฿16.01

29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 PEN 8.78

$2.35 ฿78.3

10.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 PEN 14.86

$3.72 ฿124

18.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 PEN 5.49

$1.87 ฿62.1

-12.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 PEN 7.87

$1.47 ฿48.81

58.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PEN 4.18

$1.55 ฿51.7

-20.00%

Eggs

$1.32 PEN 4.45

$2.10 ฿70.0

-37.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.52 PEN 22.01

$19.59 ฿652

-66.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 PEN 16.18

$3.42 ฿114

40.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.56 PEN 22.15

$11.38 ฿379

-42.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 PEN 4.56

$2.98 ฿99.3

-54.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 PEN 3.43

$1.68 ฿56.1

-39.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 PEN 4.93

$2.21 ฿73.5

-33.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 PEN 1.96

$2.16 ฿72.0

-73.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.43 PEN 1.46

$1.52 ฿50.8

-71.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 PEN 2.99

$1.34 ฿44.55

-33.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 PEN 2.89

$1.13 ฿37.57

-23.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 PEN 3.15

$0.55 ฿18.19

69.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 PEN 20.30

$4.26 ฿142

41.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 PEN 30.18

$19.09 ฿635

-53.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 PEN 6.62

$1.78 ฿59.2

10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 PEN 8.34

$2.78 ฿92.6

-11.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 PEN 2.91

$2.23 ฿74.2

-61.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.37 PEN 123

$22.74 ฿757

59.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 PEN 13.47

$3.03 ฿101

31.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 PEN 7.16

$1.02 ฿34.06

107.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.23 PEN 24.41

$3.89 ฿130

85.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 PEN 5.81

$1.49 ฿49.63

15.44%

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

$21.8K PEN 73.4K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

-18.11%

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

$26.7K PEN 90.2K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

-1.04%

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

$43.76 PEN 148

$102 ฿3,411

-57.29%

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

$17.39 PEN 58.7

$11.33 ฿377

53.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.74 PEN 39.62

$17.40 ฿579

-32.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.17 PEN 71.4

$52.1 ฿1,734

-59.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.70 PEN 29.34

$11.07 ฿369

-21.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 PEN 25.47

$7.69 ฿256

-1.82%

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

$183 PEN 619

$561 ฿18.7K

-67.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K PEN 44.4K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

14.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 PEN 180

$63.0 ฿2,098

-15.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.38 PEN 45.14

$29.52 ฿983

-54.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.28 PEN 163

$98.0 ฿3,263

-50.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.84 PEN 121

$88.5 ฿2,946

-59.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$162 PEN 548

$738 ฿24.6K

-78.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$136 PEN 460

$482 ฿16.1K

-71.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$146 PEN 493

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-88.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,846 PEN 6,227

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-48.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,358 PEN 4,582

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-47.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$587 PEN 1,980

$494 ฿16.4K

18.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

5.57

60.50%

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

Last update for Pisco: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $162 in Pisco and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pisco pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Pisco vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $185 vs $274, with Pisco cheaper for home cooking.

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

Pisco vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pisco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Pisco, 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: $162 in Pisco versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $183 in Pisco versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $683 in Pisco versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pisco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pisco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pisco 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, Pisco and Phuket 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 Pisco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.