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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $784 in Trujillo versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,170 in Trujillo versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,557 in Trujillo versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Trujillo costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Trujillo 41% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.21 PEN 10.91

$4.70 ฿153

-31.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.85 PEN 47.14

$45.37 ฿1,482

-69.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 PEN 22.96

$8.43 ฿275

-19.93%

Cappuccino

$2.88 PEN 9.81

$2.93 ฿95.6

-1.71%

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

$0.89 PEN 3.04

$0.69 ฿22.40

28.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 PEN 1.95

$0.37 ฿11.99

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 PEN 6.77

$2.41 ฿78.6

-17.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 PEN 11.37

$3.72 ฿122

-10.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 PEN 3.42

$2.23 ฿72.9

-54.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 PEN 6.24

$1.83 ฿59.8

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 PEN 3.88

$2.17 ฿70.8

-47.47%

Eggs

$3.85 PEN 13.11

$2.21 ฿72.3

74.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 PEN 22.22

$3.63 ฿119

79.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.62 PEN 25.94

$13.53 ฿442

-43.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.85

$3.28 ฿107

-65.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 PEN 1.96

$1.61 ฿52.6

-63.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.58 PEN 1.96

$2.41 ฿78.6

-75.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 PEN 2.58

$2.08 ฿68.1

-63.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 PEN 3.18

$1.53 ฿49.93

-39.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 PEN 2.74

$1.48 ฿48.36

-45.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 PEN 3.03

$0.99 ฿32.29

-10.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 PEN 2.94

$0.51 ฿16.67

68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 PEN 13.77

$4.41 ฿144

-8.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.77 PEN 19.63

$19.38 ฿633

-70.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 PEN 4.83

$1.78 ฿58.1

-20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 PEN 5.80

$2.71 ฿88.6

-37.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 PEN 2.00

$1.37 ฿44.79

-56.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.72 PEN 56.9

$11.39 ฿372

46.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 PEN 9.35

$3.02 ฿98.6

-8.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 PEN 6.97

$0.99 ฿32.48

107.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 PEN 18.79

$14.10 ฿461

-60.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 PEN 4.62

$1.36 ฿44.51

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

$16.9K PEN 57.7K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-39.91%

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

$26.6K PEN 90.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-19.27%

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

$74.4 PEN 253

$122 ฿3,975

-38.90%

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

$8.19 PEN 27.85

$13.57 ฿443

-39.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.99 PEN 71.4

$18.31 ฿598

14.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.41 PEN 120

$60.2 ฿1,967

-41.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.65 PEN 19.21

$17.14 ฿560

-67.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 PEN 13.84

$8.69 ฿284

-53.16%

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

$106 PEN 360

$693 ฿22.6K

-84.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,029 PEN 6,902

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-87.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.7 PEN 237

$59.5 ฿1,944

17.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.96 PEN 47.48

$34.77 ฿1,136

-59.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.78 PEN 115

$115 ฿3,743

-70.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.69 PEN 111

$83.3 ฿2,720

-60.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 PEN 1,246

$613 ฿20.0K

-40.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 PEN 865

$437 ฿14.3K

-41.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 PEN 2,047

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-71.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 PEN 1,624

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-68.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,138 PEN 3,872

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-69.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$834 PEN 2,837

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-68.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$539 PEN 1,834

$508 ฿16.6K

6.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.7

5.33

138.27%

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

Last update for Trujillo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Trujillo and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trujillo pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $14.00 in Trujillo vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $293 per month, with Trujillo 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 vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trujillo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Trujillo pays 6% 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: $366 in Trujillo versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $106 in Trujillo versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $784 in Trujillo versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Trujillo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Trujillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Trujillo 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, Trujillo 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 Trujillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.