Cost of Living Comparison Between Varadero and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Varadero and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,618 in Varadero versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Varadero versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,380 in Varadero versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Varadero is roughly 28% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varadero is 21% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.88 CUP 141

$4.70 ฿153

25.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.70 CUP 1,145

$45.37 ฿1,482

5.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 CUP 220

$8.43 ฿275

8.90%

Cappuccino

$1.03 CUP 24.66

$2.93 ฿95.6

-64.85%

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

$1.97 CUP 47.22

$0.69 ฿22.40

185.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 CUP 22.24

$0.37 ฿11.99

151.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.80 CUP 91.2

$2.41 ฿78.6

57.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 CUP 63.8

$3.72 ฿122

-28.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.94 CUP 70.7

$2.23 ฿72.9

31.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 CUP 31.47

$1.83 ฿59.8

-28.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 CUP 35.25

$2.17 ฿70.8

-32.26%

Eggs

$2.44 CUP 58.5

$2.21 ฿72.3

10.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.13 CUP 147

$19.74 ฿645

-68.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 CUP 120

$3.63 ฿119

38.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 CUP 291

$13.53 ฿442

-10.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 CUP 118

$3.28 ฿107

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.58 CUP 13.85

$1.61 ฿52.6

-63.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.52

$2.41 ฿78.6

-57.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 CUP 27.42

$2.08 ฿68.1

-45.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 CUP 21.33

$1.53 ฿49.93

-41.83%

Onion (1kg)

$5.67 CUP 136

$1.48 ฿48.36

283.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 CUP 8.49

$0.99 ฿32.29

-64.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 CUP 13.09

$0.51 ฿16.67

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 CUP 91.1

$4.41 ฿144

-14.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 CUP 137

$19.38 ฿633

-70.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 CUP 19.26

$1.78 ฿58.1

-55.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 CUP 17.27

$2.71 ฿88.6

-73.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.88 CUP 477

$11.39 ฿372

74.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 CUP 48.34

$3.02 ฿98.6

-33.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 CUP 24.25

$0.99 ฿32.48

2.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.13 CUP 483

$14.10 ฿461

42.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 CUP 31.78

$1.36 ฿44.51

-2.94%

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

$69.8K CUP 1.7M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

147.50%

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

$78.4K CUP 1.9M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

138.35%

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

$39.63 CUP 951

$122 ฿3,975

-67.44%

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

$39.25 CUP 942

$13.57 ฿443

189.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$218 CUP 5,222

$18.31 ฿598

1088.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.30 CUP 967

$60.2 ฿1,967

-33.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.98 CUP 359

$17.14 ฿560

-12.60%

Cinema Ticket

$0.99 CUP 23.67

$8.69 ฿284

-88.61%

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

$90.6 CUP 2,173

$693 ฿22.6K

-86.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K CUP 357.4K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-5.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.15 CUP 964

$59.5 ฿1,944

-32.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.72 CUP 713

$34.77 ฿1,136

-14.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 CUP 1,780

$115 ฿3,743

-35.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.4 CUP 2,026

$83.3 ฿2,720

1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 CUP 9,687

$613 ฿20.0K

-34.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$797 CUP 19.1K

$437 ฿14.3K

82.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 CUP 28.9K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-42.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 CUP 15.3K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-57.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$387 CUP 9,293

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-89.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$352 CUP 8,437

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-86.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.62 CUP 471

$508 ฿16.6K

-96.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

181.43%

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

Last update for Varadero: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $404 in Varadero and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2490% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Varadero vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $215 vs $293, with Varadero cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Varadero vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 2490% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $404 in Varadero versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.6 in Varadero versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Varadero pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,618 in Varadero, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Varadero. 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 Varadero, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Varadero 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 28% less than in Varadero. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.