Cost of Living Comparison Between Ushuaia and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Ushuaia and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $976 in Ushuaia versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,590 in Ushuaia versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,203 in Ushuaia versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Ushuaia costs roughly 23% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ushuaia 27% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.47 ARS 14.9K

$4.70 ฿153

122.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.29 ARS 48.9K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-24.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 ARS 12.6K

$8.43 ฿275

5.10%

Cappuccino

$2.66 ARS 3,790

$2.93 ฿95.6

-9.22%

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

$1.65 ARS 2,354

$0.69 ฿22.40

139.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,214

$0.37 ฿11.99

318.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 ARS 3,038

$2.41 ฿78.6

-11.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 ARS 4,227

$3.72 ฿122

-20.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ARS 1,786

$2.23 ฿72.9

-43.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 ARS 2,306

$1.83 ฿59.8

-11.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ARS 2,879

$2.17 ฿70.8

-6.91%

Eggs

$2.24 ARS 3,191

$2.21 ฿72.3

1.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 ARS 14.4K

$19.74 ฿645

-48.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.26 ARS 8,929

$3.63 ฿119

72.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 ARS 13.4K

$13.53 ฿442

-30.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 ARS 2,755

$3.28 ฿107

-41.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 ARS 2,949

$1.61 ฿52.6

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,799

$2.41 ฿78.6

-47.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.60 ARS 3,710

$2.08 ฿68.1

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ARS 1,629

$1.53 ฿49.93

-25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ARS 1,789

$1.48 ฿48.36

-15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 ARS 1,796

$0.99 ฿32.29

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 ARS 2,119

$0.51 ฿16.67

192.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 ARS 4,571

$4.41 ฿144

-27.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 ARS 7,168

$19.38 ฿633

-74.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 ARS 2,940

$1.78 ฿58.1

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ARS 4,494

$2.71 ฿88.6

16.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 ARS 1,195

$1.37 ฿44.79

-38.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ARS 2,177

$3.02 ฿98.6

-49.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 ARS 1,211

$0.99 ฿32.48

-14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 ARS 8,737

$14.10 ฿461

-56.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ARS 1,561

$1.36 ฿44.51

-19.85%

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

$27.1K ARS 38.6M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-4.03%

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

$30.3K ARS 43.2M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-7.99%

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

$67.0 ARS 95.6K

$122 ฿3,975

-44.95%

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

$17.12 ARS 24.4K

$13.57 ฿443

26.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.49 ARS 32.1K

$18.31 ฿598

22.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.64 ARS 38.0K

$60.2 ฿1,967

-55.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.91 ARS 19.8K

$17.14 ฿560

-18.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.15 ARS 8,776

$8.69 ฿284

-29.23%

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

$217 ARS 308.9K

$693 ฿22.6K

-68.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,734 ARS 3.9M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-82.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 ARS 105.4K

$59.5 ฿1,944

24.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.5 ARS 99.1K

$34.77 ฿1,136

99.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ARS 166.5K

$115 ฿3,743

1.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ARS 159.9K

$83.3 ฿2,720

34.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 ARS 487.2K

$613 ฿20.0K

-44.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 ARS 343.4K

$437 ฿14.3K

-44.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 ARS 977.7K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-67.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 ARS 766.8K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-64.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,841 ARS 2.6M

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-50.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,572 ARS 2.2M

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-39.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

5.33

997.56%

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

Last update for Ushuaia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $342 in Ushuaia and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Ushuaia vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $231 vs $293 per month, with Ushuaia 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

Ushuaia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ushuaia is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,465 in Ushuaia 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: $342 in Ushuaia versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $217 in Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $976 in Ushuaia versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ushuaia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ushuaia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ushuaia 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, Ushuaia 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 Ushuaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.