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: $899 in Quilmes versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,474 in Quilmes versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,049 in Quilmes versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Quilmes costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quilmes 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.11 ARS 13.0K

$4.70 ฿153

93.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.19 ARS 43.1K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-33.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 ARS 12.8K

$8.43 ฿275

6.52%

Cappuccino

$1.69 ARS 2,415

$2.93 ฿95.6

-42.32%

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

$1.29 ARS 1,837

$0.69 ฿22.40

86.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ARS 1,610

$0.37 ฿11.99

205.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ARS 1,700

$2.41 ฿78.6

-50.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ARS 3,843

$3.72 ฿122

-27.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 ARS 1,749

$2.23 ฿72.9

-44.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 ARS 2,205

$1.83 ฿59.8

-15.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 ARS 2,525

$2.17 ฿70.8

-18.43%

Eggs

$2.14 ARS 3,051

$2.21 ฿72.3

-3.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 ARS 19.0K

$19.74 ฿645

-32.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.08 ARS 8,676

$3.63 ฿119

67.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ARS 15.2K

$13.53 ฿442

-21.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ARS 2,565

$3.28 ฿107

-45.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ARS 2,956

$1.61 ฿52.6

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 ARS 1,433

$2.41 ฿78.6

-58.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 ARS 3,804

$2.08 ฿68.1

28.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ARS 1,672

$1.53 ฿49.93

-23.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 ARS 1,978

$1.48 ฿48.36

-6.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ARS 1,246

$0.99 ฿32.29

-12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ARS 2,542

$0.51 ฿16.67

249.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 ARS 4,826

$4.41 ฿144

-23.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.22 ARS 6,026

$19.38 ฿633

-78.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 ARS 1,767

$1.78 ฿58.1

-30.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ARS 4,557

$2.71 ฿88.6

17.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 ARS 1,193

$1.37 ฿44.79

-38.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 ARS 3,643

$3.02 ฿98.6

-15.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 ARS 1,321

$0.99 ฿32.48

-6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 ARS 8,510

$14.10 ฿461

-57.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 ARS 1,476

$1.36 ฿44.51

-24.26%

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

$24.1K ARS 34.4M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-14.38%

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

$26.3K ARS 37.6M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-19.97%

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

$56.0 ARS 79.8K

$122 ฿3,975

-54.01%

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

$18.13 ARS 25.9K

$13.57 ฿443

33.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.44 ARS 20.6K

$18.31 ฿598

-21.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.44 ARS 37.7K

$60.2 ฿1,967

-56.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.04 ARS 20.0K

$17.14 ฿560

-18.09%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 ARS 7,337

$8.69 ฿284

-40.85%

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

$222 ARS 316.5K

$693 ฿22.6K

-68.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,069 ARS 1.5M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-93.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 ARS 88.5K

$59.5 ฿1,944

4.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 ARS 84.8K

$34.77 ฿1,136

71.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ARS 152.7K

$115 ฿3,743

-6.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 ARS 137.2K

$83.3 ฿2,720

15.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$332 ARS 473.3K

$613 ฿20.0K

-45.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ARS 344.9K

$437 ฿14.3K

-44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$675 ARS 962.7K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-67.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$539 ARS 768.5K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-64.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,352 ARS 3.4M

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-37.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,764 ARS 2.5M

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-32.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,116 ARS 1.6M

$508 ฿16.6K

119.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

100

5.33

1776.17%

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

Last update for Quilmes: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $332 in Quilmes and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quilmes pays 120% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Quilmes vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $237 vs $293 per month, with Quilmes 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

Quilmes vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quilmes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Quilmes pays 120% more on average, 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: $332 in Quilmes versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Quilmes versus $693 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 $30.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $899 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 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.