Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Varas and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Varas and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,142 in Puerto Varas versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,714 in Puerto Varas versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,285 in Puerto Varas versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Puerto Varas costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Varas 15% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.99 CLP 12.1K

$4.55 ฿153

185.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.43 CLP 40.4K

$46.18 ฿1,554

-5.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.13 CLP 7,570

$8.84 ฿298

-8.03%

Cappuccino

$3.06 CLP 2,846

$3.06 ฿103

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

$1.09 CLP 1,011

$0.73 ฿24.42

49.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 CLP 838

$0.40 ฿13.40

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 CLP 2,920

$2.43 ฿81.8

29.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 CLP 3,940

$3.78 ฿127

11.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CLP 1,135

$2.26 ฿76.0

-46.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 CLP 1,399

$1.81 ฿60.9

-17.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 CLP 1,718

$2.25 ฿75.8

-18.22%

Eggs

$3.43 CLP 3,195

$2.25 ฿75.6

52.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 CLP 9,841

$19.51 ฿656

-45.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,234

$3.65 ฿123

83.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.01 CLP 10.3K

$13.05 ฿439

-15.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 CLP 1,767

$3.23 ฿109

-41.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,413

$1.62 ฿54.4

-6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,473

$2.38 ฿80.2

-33.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 CLP 1,393

$2.03 ฿68.2

-26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 CLP 1,196

$1.53 ฿51.6

-16.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 CLP 1,316

$1.50 ฿50.5

-6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 CLP 1,167

$0.98 ฿32.93

27.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CLP 1,092

$0.52 ฿17.40

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.50 CLP 5,124

$4.44 ฿149

23.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 CLP 5,625

$18.32 ฿616

-67.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,442

$1.86 ฿62.7

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 CLP 2,078

$2.68 ฿90.2

-16.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 CLP 549

$1.41 ฿47.49

-58.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 CLP 479

$3.11 ฿105

-83.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CLP 1,279

$1.31 ฿44.13

4.58%

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

$19.6K CLP 18.2M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-29.68%

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

$21.4K CLP 19.9M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-35.59%

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

$131 CLP 122.2K

$122 ฿4,120

7.18%

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

$13.45 CLP 12.5K

$13.59 ฿457

-1.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.67 CLP 20.2K

$18.70 ฿629

15.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.35 CLP 35.7K

$60.5 ฿2,035

-36.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.84 CLP 19.4K

$16.98 ฿572

22.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 CLP 5,159

$9.07 ฿305

-38.92%

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

$439 CLP 409.1K

$706 ฿23.8K

-37.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CLP 47.2K

$58.6 ฿1,970

-13.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.80 CLP 28.7K

$35.36 ฿1,190

-12.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.2 CLP 57.0K

$115 ฿3,885

-47.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.1 CLP 76.4K

$83.7 ฿2,818

-1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 CLP 438.9K

$626 ฿21.1K

-24.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 CLP 344.8K

$445 ฿15.0K

-16.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$886 CLP 825.3K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-56.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 CLP 554.8K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-60.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$561 CLP 522.8K

$500 ฿16.8K

12.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

5.33

-2.81%

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

Last update for Puerto Varas: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Puerto Varas and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Varas pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Puerto Varas vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $289 per month, with Puerto Varas 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

Puerto Varas vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Varas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Puerto Varas, 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: $471 in Puerto Varas versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $439 in Puerto Varas versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Varas – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,142 in Puerto Varas versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Varas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Varas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Varas 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, Puerto Varas 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 Puerto Varas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.