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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,527 in Puerto Rico versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,301 in Puerto Rico versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,075 in Puerto Rico versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Puerto Rico is roughly 21% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puerto Rico is 14% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.52 €15.07

$4.70 ฿153

272.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 €50.0

$45.37 ฿1,482

28.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 €9.14

$8.43 ฿275

25.98%

Cappuccino

$2.03 €1.75

$2.93 ฿95.6

-30.72%

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

$1.80 €1.55

$0.69 ฿22.40

160.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$0.37 ฿11.99

183.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 €2.45

$2.41 ฿78.6

18.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.73

$3.72 ฿122

-14.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.23 ฿72.9

-44.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.83 ฿59.8

-6.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.17 ฿70.8

-33.18%

Eggs

$3.06 €2.63

$2.21 ฿72.3

38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.70 €7.48

$19.74 ฿645

-55.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 €7.21

$3.63 ฿119

130.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 €11.44

$13.53 ฿442

-1.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.07

$3.28 ฿107

-26.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.61 ฿52.6

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 €1.38

$2.41 ฿78.6

-33.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$2.08 ฿68.1

21.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.53 ฿49.93

2.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.48 ฿48.36

14.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.28

$0.99 ฿32.29

49.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.59

$0.51 ฿16.67

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.03 €4.33

$4.41 ฿144

14.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.86

$19.38 ฿633

-58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 €1.37

$1.78 ฿58.1

-10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.71 ฿88.6

-33.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.37 ฿44.79

21.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.10 €29.34

$11.39 ฿372

199.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.87

$3.02 ฿98.6

49.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 €1.11

$0.99 ฿32.48

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.10 €14.71

$14.10 ฿461

21.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.36 ฿44.51

24.26%

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

$38.5K €33.1K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

36.55%

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

$30.4K €26.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-7.46%

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

$88.7 €76.3

$122 ฿3,975

-27.08%

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

$21.79 €18.75

$13.57 ฿443

60.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.63 €26.35

$18.31 ฿598

67.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.83 €40.28

$60.2 ฿1,967

-22.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.20 €13.08

$17.14 ฿560

-11.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 €8.57

$8.69 ฿284

14.61%

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

$347 €299

$693 ฿22.6K

-49.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,272 €7,116

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-47.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.7 €72.0

$59.5 ฿1,944

40.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.54 €28.85

$34.77 ฿1,136

-3.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €74.5

$115 ฿3,743

-24.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 €59.6

$83.3 ฿2,720

-16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 €724

$613 ฿20.0K

37.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$699 €601

$437 ฿14.3K

59.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 €1,153

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-36.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 €858

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-33.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,463 €2,979

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-7.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 €1,965

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-12.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

5.33

-34.33%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $842 in Puerto Rico and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Puerto Rico vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $247 vs $293, with Puerto Rico 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

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,290 in Puerto Rico and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $842 in Puerto Rico versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Puerto Rico versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Puerto Rico pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,527 in Puerto Rico, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Puerto Rico. 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 Rico, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Puerto Rico 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 21% less than in Puerto Rico. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.