Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,604 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,512 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,419 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon is roughly 28% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon is 17% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.21 ₡5,442

$4.56 ฿151

167.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.63 ₡19.4K

$32.62 ฿1,082

33.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 ₡4,937

$8.90 ฿295

24.49%

Cappuccino

$3.91 ₡1,741

$2.80 ฿93.0

39.64%

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

$2.35 ₡1,045

$0.88 ฿29.19

167.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₡835

$0.49 ฿16.23

281.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 ₡1,494

$2.39 ฿79.2

40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 ₡1,860

$3.71 ฿123

12.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ₡934

$1.79 ฿59.3

17.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 ₡1,383

$1.44 ฿47.81

115.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 ₡1,141

$1.58 ฿52.6

62.03%

Eggs

$3.28 ₡1,463

$2.13 ฿70.5

53.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 ₡3,036

$19.92 ฿661

-65.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 ₡3,546

$3.43 ฿114

132.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 ₡6,431

$11.33 ฿376

27.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 ₡1,199

$2.95 ฿97.8

-8.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 ₡480

$1.72 ฿57.1

-37.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 ₡608

$2.32 ฿77.1

-40.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 ₡778

$2.08 ฿69.0

-15.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 ₡1,156

$1.47 ฿48.77

76.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 ₡881

$1.36 ฿45.05

45.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₡285

$1.10 ฿36.45

-41.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 ₡907

$0.57 ฿19.06

257.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 ₡1,399

$4.27 ฿142

-26.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 ₡6,814

$18.42 ฿611

-16.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 ₡1,267

$1.87 ฿62.1

51.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ₡1,651

$2.92 ฿96.9

27.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.32 ₡590

$2.22 ฿73.6

-40.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.19 ₡20.1K

$22.90 ฿759

97.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₡833

$3.03 ฿101

-38.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡724

$1.07 ฿35.63

52.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.64 ₡3,852

$3.93 ฿130

119.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₡660

$1.49 ฿49.49

-0.67%

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

$21.6K ₡9.6M

$27.1K ฿899.8K

-20.24%

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

$35.6K ₡15.9M

$27.5K ฿910.6K

29.66%

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

$94.7 ₡42.2K

$103 ฿3,410

-7.84%

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

$36.87 ₡16.4K

$10.99 ฿365

235.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.98 ₡15.1K

$17.51 ฿581

94.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.5 ₡32.3K

$53.5 ฿1,776

35.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 ₡3,674

$7.48 ฿248

10.16%

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

$982 ₡437.4K

$557 ฿18.5K

76.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K ₡7.8M

$11.9K ฿393.2K

48.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 ₡29.3K

$64.1 ฿2,125

2.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.43 ₡11.8K

$29.07 ฿964

-9.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 ₡44.7K

$96.0 ฿3,183

4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.7 ₡24.8K

$90.3 ฿2,997

-38.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 ₡358.8K

$730 ฿24.2K

10.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$575 ₡256.4K

$500 ฿16.6K

15.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ₡904.0K

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-2.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 ₡601.5K

$1,209 ฿40.1K

11.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿83.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,010 ₡450.1K

$503 ฿16.7K

100.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

5.57

57.63%

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

Last update for Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $805 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon pays 101% 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: $44.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $273 per month, with Phuket 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 Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 101% higher in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, 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: $805 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $982 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,604 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.