Cost of Living Comparison Between Trujillo Alto and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Trujillo Alto and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,755 in Trujillo Alto versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,623 in Trujillo Alto versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,492 in Trujillo Alto versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Trujillo Alto is roughly 42% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Trujillo Alto is 28% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.10 $13.10

$4.41 ฿147

197.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$32.26 ฿1,074

145.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.38 $9.38

$8.93 ฿297

5.04%

Cappuccino

$2.95 $2.95

$2.90 ฿96.4

1.72%

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

$1.87 $1.87

$0.88 ฿29.30

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.48 ฿16.01

110.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.35 ฿78.3

26.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$3.72 ฿124

4.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.87 ฿62.1

25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.47 ฿48.81

118.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.55 ฿51.7

49.68%

Eggs

$4.77 $4.77

$2.10 ฿70.0

127.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$19.59 ฿652

-54.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 $9.52

$3.42 ฿114

178.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 $7.78

$11.38 ฿379

-31.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.98 ฿99.3

52.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.68 ฿56.1

56.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.21 ฿73.5

121.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.16 ฿72.0

81.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.52 ฿50.8

149.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.34 ฿44.55

190.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.13 ฿37.57

199.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.55 ฿18.19

165.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$4.26 ฿142

138.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.18 $15.18

$19.09 ฿635

-20.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.78 ฿59.2

74.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.78 ฿92.6

41.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.03 ฿101

-19.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.02 ฿34.06

49.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.43 $41.43

$3.89 ฿130

965.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.49 ฿49.63

-30.87%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

29.97%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

1.77%

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

$326 $326

$102 ฿3,411

218.03%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$11.33 ฿377

424.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$17.40 ฿579

299.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.64 $29.64

$52.1 ฿1,734

-43.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.17 $10.17

$11.07 ฿369

-8.13%

Cinema Ticket

$10.53 $10.53

$7.69 ฿256

36.93%

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

$352 $352

$561 ฿18.7K

-37.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,317 $5,317

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-53.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.23 $40.23

$63.0 ฿2,098

-36.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 $54.8

$29.52 ฿983

85.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$98.0 ฿3,263

-8.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$88.5 ฿2,946

30.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$702 $702

$738 ฿24.6K

-4.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 $544

$482 ฿16.1K

12.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 $1,168

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-44.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$961 $961

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-21.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,892 $1,892

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-47.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,588 $1,588

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-38.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,297 $3,297

$494 ฿16.4K

568.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.57

17.59%

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

Last update for Trujillo Alto: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $702 in Trujillo Alto and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trujillo Alto pays 568% 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: $79.0 in Trujillo Alto vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $274 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

Trujillo Alto vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 568% higher in Trujillo Alto, 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: $702 in Trujillo Alto versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $352 in Trujillo Alto versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $79.0 in Trujillo Alto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,755 in Trujillo Alto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Trujillo Alto. 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 Trujillo Alto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Trujillo Alto 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 42% less than in Trujillo Alto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.