Cost of Living Comparison Between Porlamar and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Porlamar and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $710 in Porlamar versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,135 in Porlamar versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,560 in Porlamar versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Porlamar costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Porlamar 48% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.61 VES 3,828

$4.66 ฿154

-1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 VES 34.8K

$32.22 ฿1,065

30.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 VES 7,622

$8.68 ฿287

5.76%

Cappuccino

$1.85 VES 1,536

$2.90 ฿95.8

-36.21%

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

$2.04 VES 1,690

$0.84 ฿27.89

142.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 VES 1,070

$0.49 ฿16.16

163.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 VES 818

$2.48 ฿82.0

-60.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 VES 1,890

$3.73 ฿123

-38.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 VES 1,394

$1.89 ฿62.3

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 VES 1,233

$1.41 ฿46.54

4.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 VES 972

$1.62 ฿53.6

-27.78%

Eggs

$2.03 VES 1,684

$2.24 ฿74.1

-9.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.84 VES 4,847

$19.84 ฿656

-70.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 VES 5,467

$3.48 ฿115

89.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.42 VES 6,162

$11.37 ฿376

-34.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 VES 3,456

$2.90 ฿95.8

43.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 VES 1,474

$1.72 ฿57.0

3.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 VES 1,230

$2.27 ฿75.1

-34.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 VES 1,420

$2.13 ฿70.4

-19.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 VES 1,390

$1.47 ฿48.72

13.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 VES 1,299

$1.42 ฿46.92

9.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 VES 1,533

$1.10 ฿36.25

68.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 VES 812

$0.60 ฿19.76

63.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 VES 2,550

$4.31 ฿142

-28.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 VES 5,326

$18.60 ฿615

-65.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 VES 619

$1.80 ฿59.5

-58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 VES 1,342

$2.97 ฿98.0

-45.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 VES 361

$2.25 ฿74.2

-80.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.04 VES 12.5K

$23.49 ฿776

-35.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.08 VES 4,218

$3.10 ฿102

63.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 VES 1,220

$1.08 ฿35.56

36.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 VES 431

$1.43 ฿47.16

-63.64%

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

$20.1K VES 16.7M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-27.58%

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

$35.0K VES 29.0M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

29.63%

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

$21.03 VES 17.5K

$105 ฿3,462

-79.93%

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

$7.66 VES 6,359

$11.39 ฿376

-32.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.81 VES 26.4K

$17.54 ฿580

81.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.22 VES 33.4K

$54.3 ฿1,795

-25.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.47 VES 10.4K

$11.44 ฿378

9.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.46 VES 2,871

$7.78 ฿257

-55.53%

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

$29.61 VES 24.6K

$576 ฿19.0K

-94.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.05 VES 25.0K

$63.6 ฿2,103

-52.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.67 VES 37.1K

$29.10 ฿961

53.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 VES 48.9K

$96.2 ฿3,179

-38.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 VES 62.7K

$90.0 ฿2,974

-16.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$197 VES 163.8K

$733 ฿24.2K

-73.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 VES 126.3K

$501 ฿16.5K

-69.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$334 VES 277.1K

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-84.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 VES 164.0K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-84.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$404 VES 335.7K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-88.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$148 VES 123.3K

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-94.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 VES 178.8K

$508 ฿16.8K

-57.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

259.07%

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

Last update for Porlamar: September 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $197 in Porlamar and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 136% 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: $42.00 in Porlamar vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $275, with Porlamar 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

Porlamar vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porlamar is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 136% lower in Phuket. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $197 in Porlamar versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $29.61 in Porlamar versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $710 in Porlamar versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Porlamar but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Porlamar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Porlamar 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, Porlamar 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 Porlamar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.