Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenaventura and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenaventura and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,307 per month in Buenaventura vs $1,232 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,084 per month in Buenaventura vs $2,054 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,861 per month in Buenaventura vs $2,876 in Phuket, rent included.

Buenaventura costs about 6% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Buenaventura and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Buenaventura 4% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.63 COP 20.9K

$4.41 ฿147

50.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.33 COP 139.8K

$32.26 ฿1,073

37.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 COP 32.4K

$8.93 ฿297

15.01%

Cappuccino

$2.71 COP 8,536

$2.90 ฿96.3

-6.55%

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

$1.40 COP 4,415

$0.88 ฿29.27

59.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 COP 3,194

$0.48 ฿16.00

110.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 COP 9,351

$2.35 ฿78.2

25.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 COP 10.7K

$3.72 ฿124

-9.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 COP 4,798

$1.87 ฿62.0

-18.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 COP 8,537

$1.47 ฿48.75

84.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,785

$1.55 ฿51.6

-1.94%

Eggs

$3.21 COP 10.1K

$2.10 ฿69.9

52.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 COP 28.1K

$19.59 ฿651

-54.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 COP 29.3K

$3.42 ฿114

171.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.72 COP 37.0K

$11.38 ฿378

2.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 COP 12.1K

$2.98 ฿99.2

28.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,265

$1.68 ฿56.0

-19.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,492

$2.21 ฿73.5

-21.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 COP 6,342

$2.16 ฿71.9

-6.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,840

$1.52 ฿50.7

0.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,198

$1.34 ฿44.49

23.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 COP 3,519

$1.13 ฿37.53

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,755

$0.55 ฿18.17

116.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.77 COP 15.0K

$4.26 ฿142

11.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.38 COP 45.3K

$19.09 ฿635

-24.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 COP 4,699

$1.78 ฿59.2

-16.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 COP 8,609

$2.78 ฿92.5

-1.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 COP 3,430

$2.23 ฿74.1

-51.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 COP 4,319

$3.03 ฿101

-54.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 COP 5,940

$1.02 ฿34.02

84.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.36 COP 29.5K

$3.89 ฿129

140.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 COP 4,859

$1.49 ฿49.57

3.36%

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

$29.3K COP 92.6M

$26.6K ฿883.8K

10.38%

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

$37.9K COP 119.6M

$27.0K ฿898.7K

40.31%

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

$125 COP 395.0K

$102 ฿3,407

22.20%

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

$14.31 COP 45.1K

$11.33 ฿377

26.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.98 COP 97.7K

$17.40 ฿578

78.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.48 COP 108.7K

$52.1 ฿1,732

-33.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 COP 19.5K

$7.69 ฿256

-19.64%

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

$549 COP 1.7M

$561 ฿18.6K

-2.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,589 COP 20.8M

$11.5K ฿382.6K

-42.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.6 COP 307.9K

$63.0 ฿2,096

54.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 COP 173.3K

$29.52 ฿982

86.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 416.7K

$98.0 ฿3,259

34.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 COP 355.3K

$88.5 ฿2,943

27.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 COP 2.5M

$738 ฿24.5K

5.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$530 COP 1.7M

$482 ฿16.0K

9.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 COP 3.7M

$2,107 ฿70.0K

-44.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 COP 2.8M

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-28.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,227 COP 7.0M

$3,617 ฿120.3K

-38.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,478 COP 4.7M

$2,603 ฿86.5K

-43.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

5.57

107.90%

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

Last update for Buenaventura: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $781 in Buenaventura versus $738 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Buenaventura versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $282 vs $274 – making Phuket the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Buenaventura vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,307 in Buenaventura, $1,232 in Phuket – roughly 6% apart. Buenaventura costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,961 per month in Buenaventura and $1,847 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, 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 $44.00 in Buenaventura and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Buenaventura, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,232, than in Buenaventura at $1,307. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenaventura it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,232 in Phuket to $1,307 in Buenaventura. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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