Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pucallpa and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Pucallpa: $506 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Pucallpa

🇵🇪 Peru

$506

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pucallpa and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pucallpa and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $506 in Pucallpa versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Pucallpa $506
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $833 in Pucallpa versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Pucallpa $833
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,159 in Pucallpa versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Pucallpa $1,159
Phuket $3,154

Living in Pucallpa costs roughly 60% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pucallpa 63% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.33 PEN 8.05

$4.47 ฿151

-47.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.69 PEN 40.35

$32.41 ฿1,092

-63.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.13 PEN 17.71

$8.81 ฿297

-41.77%

Cappuccino

$1.98 PEN 6.84

$2.83 ฿95.3

-30.04%

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

$0.99 PEN 3.42

$0.87 ฿29.37

13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$0.49 ฿16.64

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 PEN 5.86

$2.56 ฿86.2

-33.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 PEN 8.14

$3.68 ฿124

-35.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 PEN 3.50

$1.66 ฿55.9

-39.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 PEN 12.62

$1.46 ฿49.25

150.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.09

$1.50 ฿50.4

-21.33%

Eggs

$1.78 PEN 6.15

$2.09 ฿70.4

-14.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.99 PEN 6.88

$19.07 ฿642

-89.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 PEN 14.39

$3.30 ฿111

26.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.39 PEN 11.69

$10.91 ฿368

-68.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 PEN 8.23

$2.93 ฿98.7

-18.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 PEN 4.90

$1.69 ฿56.9

-15.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 PEN 5.09

$2.25 ฿75.7

-34.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 PEN 9.16

$2.08 ฿70.0

27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 PEN 9.79

$1.51 ฿50.9

88.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.96

$1.38 ฿46.47

46.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 PEN 8.14

$1.07 ฿35.91

120.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 PEN 3.48

$0.52 ฿17.49

94.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 PEN 15.88

$4.20 ฿142

9.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 PEN 27.59

$18.79 ฿633

-57.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 PEN 7.89

$1.82 ฿61.4

25.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 PEN 11.84

$2.84 ฿95.7

20.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 PEN 4.11

$1.45 ฿48.93

-17.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,909

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 PEN 4.90

$3.02 ฿102

-52.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.59 PEN 2.05

$1.02 ฿34.29

-42.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 PEN 4.41

$1.47 ฿49.70

-12.93%

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

$26.8K ฿902.4K

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

$26.7K ฿899.5K

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

$52.5 PEN 181

$96.4 ฿3,247

-45.50%

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

$35.19 PEN 121

$11.26 ฿380

212.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.14 PEN 152

$16.85 ฿568

161.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,266

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿361

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 PEN 183

$62.4 ฿2,102

-15.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.26 PEN 122

$28.41 ฿957

24.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.67 PEN 120

$94.3 ฿3,178

-63.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.0 PEN 231

$85.8 ฿2,892

-21.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$116 PEN 399

$716 ฿24.1K

-83.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 PEN 814

$1,927 ฿64.9K

-87.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$126 PEN 436

$1,431 ฿48.2K

-91.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$408 PEN 1,408

$502 ฿16.9K

-18.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Pucallpa: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Pucallpa

–

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Groceries & Markets

Pucallpa

–

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pucallpa

–

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Pucallpa

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Eating Out

Pucallpa

–

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Pucallpa

–

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Getting Around

Pucallpa

–

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $116 in Pucallpa and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% 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: $12 in Pucallpa vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $266 per month, with Pucallpa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Pucallpa

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:27 1:27 AM

13:27 1:27 PM

12 h ahead of Pucallpa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

326,040

79,308

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.29 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3.45 PEN (1 PEN = 0.29 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.52 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pucallpa Phuket 19,230 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Pucallpa
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Pucallpa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pucallpa is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Pucallpa. 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: $116 in Pucallpa versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Pucallpa – a meal for two runs $12 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $506 in Pucallpa versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Pucallpa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pucallpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Pucallpa wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.