Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ambato and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
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Ambato Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ambato and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ambato and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $605 per month in Ambato vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Ambato $605
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $985 per month in Ambato vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Ambato $985
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,364 per month in Ambato vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Ambato $1,364
Phuket $2,867

Ambato is about 50% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ambato and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Ambato 55% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 $3.46

$4.58 ฿153

-24.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.93 $29.93

$32.48 ฿1,086

-7.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.32 $5.32

$8.55 ฿286

-37.78%

Cappuccino

$2.76 $2.76

$2.72 ฿91.0

1.47%

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

$0.82 $0.82

$0.94 ฿31.25

-12.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.49 ฿16.39

53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.59 ฿86.6

-24.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.83 ฿128

-15.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.74 ฿58.1

-43.68%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.43 ฿47.82

-31.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.53 ฿51.0

2.61%

Eggs

$1.73 $1.73

$2.17 ฿72.7

-20.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$19.15 ฿640

-71.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.30 ฿110

-7.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$11.14 ฿372

-64.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.95 ฿98.5

-56.95%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.68 ฿56.1

-47.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.30 ฿76.8

-55.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.13 ฿71.3

-51.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.53 ฿51.1

-49.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.36 ฿45.55

-27.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.12 ฿37.44

-34.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.55 ฿18.24

87.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.26 ฿142

20.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$18.19 ฿608

-51.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.74 ฿58.2

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.79 ฿93.3

0.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$2.22 ฿74.1

-86.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.21 $14.21

$22.06 ฿737

-35.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.91 ฿97.3

-52.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.01 ฿33.79

10.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.43 $9.43

$3.83 ฿128

146.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.49 ฿49.85

-42.28%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-12.54%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

5.37%

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

$39.20 $39.20

$99.4 ฿3,321

-60.55%

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

$13.58 $13.58

$11.28 ฿377

20.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 $26.39

$17.36 ฿580

52.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.76 $29.76

$52.3 ฿1,747

-43.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 $4.39

$7.57 ฿253

-42.01%

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

$224 $224

$558 ฿18.7K

-59.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,408 $2,408

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-79.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.25 $48.25

$62.9 ฿2,102

-23.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.22 $35.22

$28.58 ฿955

23.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.2 $71.2

$96.1 ฿3,213

-25.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.5 $55.5

$88.1 ฿2,943

-37.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$178 $178

$729 ฿24.4K

-75.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$124 $124

$460 ฿15.4K

-72.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 $380

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-81.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 $273

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-77.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,130 $1,130

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-67.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$884 $884

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-64.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$679 $679

$493 ฿16.5K

37.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

61.58%

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

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Ambato

$147 24.3%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 82% $121

Accommodation & Living

Ambato

$124 20.5%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 270% $336

Eating Out

Ambato

$99 16.4%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 22.3% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Ambato

$95 15.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 31.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ambato

$79 13.1%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 61.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Ambato

$39 6.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 74.9% $29

Getting Around

Ambato

$22 3.7%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 74.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $178 in Ambato versus $729 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 38% higher in Ambato, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ambato versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $268 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Ambato

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

11:26 11:26 AM

12 h ahead of Ambato

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,185

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ambato Phuket 19,210 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Ambato
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Ambato vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 100% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $908 per month in Ambato and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ambato, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Ambato and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $605 in Ambato and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 100%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ambato. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.