Cost of Living Comparison Between Quilmes and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Quilmes and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Quilmes versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,553 in Quilmes versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,174 in Quilmes versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Quilmes costs roughly 26% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quilmes 32% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 ARS 8,412

$4.66 ฿154

19.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.58 ARS 53.7K

$32.22 ฿1,065

10.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 ARS 13.9K

$8.68 ฿287

5.99%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ARS 4,401

$2.90 ฿95.8

0.69%

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

$1.70 ARS 2,565

$0.84 ฿27.89

102.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ARS 2,487

$0.49 ฿16.16

236.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.99 ARS 6,019

$2.48 ฿82.0

60.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ARS 3,414

$3.73 ฿123

-39.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 ARS 1,540

$1.89 ฿62.3

-46.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 ARS 2,391

$1.41 ฿46.54

12.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 ARS 2,509

$1.62 ฿53.6

2.47%

Eggs

$2.36 ARS 3,558

$2.24 ฿74.1

5.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 ARS 19.8K

$19.84 ฿656

-33.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 ARS 9,184

$3.48 ฿115

75.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 ARS 15.0K

$11.37 ฿376

-12.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 ARS 2,861

$2.90 ฿95.8

-34.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ARS 2,270

$1.72 ฿57.0

-12.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ARS 1,537

$2.27 ฿75.1

-55.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ARS 3,201

$2.13 ฿70.4

-0.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 ARS 1,378

$1.47 ฿48.72

-38.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 ARS 947

$1.42 ฿46.92

-55.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 ARS 1,073

$1.10 ฿36.25

-35.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 ARS 1,020

$0.60 ฿19.76

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 ARS 7,507

$4.31 ฿142

15.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.33 ARS 6,533

$18.60 ฿615

-76.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ARS 1,859

$1.80 ฿59.5

-31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ARS 2,873

$2.97 ฿98.0

-36.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ARS 1,477

$2.25 ฿74.2

-56.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,364

$3.10 ฿102

-49.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,480

$1.08 ฿35.56

-9.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.34 ARS 11.1K

$3.87 ฿128

89.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ARS 1,708

$1.43 ฿47.16

-20.98%

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

$51.0K ARS 76.9M

$27.8K ฿918.0K

83.55%

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

$39.1K ARS 58.9M

$27.0K ฿891.5K

44.82%

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

$59.3 ARS 89.4K

$105 ฿3,462

-43.44%

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

$14.44 ARS 21.8K

$11.39 ฿376

26.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.74 ARS 32.8K

$17.54 ฿580

23.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.26 ARS 45.7K

$54.3 ฿1,795

-44.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 ARS 15.3K

$7.78 ฿257

30.72%

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

$299 ARS 451.7K

$576 ฿19.0K

-48.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 ARS 6.4M

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-63.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.4 ARS 145.5K

$63.6 ฿2,103

51.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.43 ARS 53.4K

$29.10 ฿961

21.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 ARS 97.2K

$96.2 ฿3,179

-33.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 ARS 107.5K

$90.0 ฿2,974

-20.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 ARS 718.6K

$733 ฿24.2K

-35.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 ARS 472.8K

$501 ฿16.5K

-37.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 ARS 1.5M

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-54.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 ARS 1.2M

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-38.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,385 ARS 3.6M

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-32.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,815 ARS 2.7M

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-30.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,085 ARS 1.6M

$508 ฿16.8K

113.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

5.57

915.44%

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

Last update for Quilmes: September 5, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Quilmes and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quilmes pays 114% 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 Quilmes vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $209 vs $275, with Quilmes 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

Quilmes vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quilmes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 114% higher in Quilmes, 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: $476 in Quilmes versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $299 in Quilmes versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Quilmes – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $932 in Quilmes versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Quilmes but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Quilmes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quilmes 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, Quilmes 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 Quilmes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.