Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,060 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

52

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cali 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 Cali and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,060 in Cali versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Cali $1,060
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Cali versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Cali $1,626
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Cali versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Cali $2,192
Phuket $2,867

Living in Cali costs roughly 12% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cali 21% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 COP 23.2K

$4.58 ฿153

59.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.35 COP 118.4K

$32.48 ฿1,086

14.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 COP 26.4K

$8.55 ฿286

-2.69%

Cappuccino

$1.52 COP 4,832

$2.72 ฿91.0

-44.12%

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

$1.23 COP 3,885

$0.94 ฿31.25

30.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,728

$0.49 ฿16.39

75.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 COP 9,872

$2.59 ฿86.6

20.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 COP 12.1K

$3.83 ฿128

-0.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 COP 4,891

$1.74 ฿58.1

-11.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 COP 6,203

$1.43 ฿47.82

37.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,701

$1.53 ฿51.0

-3.27%

Eggs

$2.91 COP 9,242

$2.17 ฿72.7

34.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 COP 20.0K

$19.15 ฿640

-67.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 COP 21.7K

$3.30 ฿110

107.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$11.14 ฿372

-8.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 COP 10.9K

$2.95 ฿98.5

16.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,433

$1.68 ฿56.1

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 COP 5,668

$2.30 ฿76.8

-22.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,223

$2.13 ฿71.3

-22.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.53 ฿51.1

-6.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,917

$1.36 ฿45.55

13.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 COP 3,613

$1.12 ฿37.44

1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 2,983

$0.55 ฿18.24

70.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.0K

$4.26 ฿142

-11.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 COP 41.0K

$18.19 ฿608

-28.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.74 ฿58.2

-17.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 COP 8,079

$2.79 ฿93.3

-8.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,387

$2.22 ฿74.1

-51.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 COP 96.0K

$22.06 ฿737

37.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 COP 2,488

$2.91 ฿97.3

-73.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,245

$1.49 ฿49.85

-10.07%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

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

$35.4K COP 112.1M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

32.39%

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

$110 COP 347.5K

$99.4 ฿3,321

10.29%

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

$12.96 COP 41.1K

$11.28 ฿377

14.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 COP 95.3K

$17.36 ฿580

73.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.81 COP 91.3K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-44.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 COP 26.6K

$7.57 ฿253

10.96%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 COP 248.5K

$62.9 ฿2,102

24.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 COP 168.8K

$28.58 ฿955

86.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 COP 398.3K

$96.1 ฿3,213

30.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 351.4K

$88.1 ฿2,943

25.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 COP 2.1M

$729 ฿24.4K

-10.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 COP 914.6K

$460 ฿15.4K

-37.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 COP 4.9M

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-25.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 COP 1.6M

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-59.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 COP 1.9M

$493 ฿16.5K

18.74%

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 Cali: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$288 27.2%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 59.5% $172

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$239 22.5%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 12% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$166 15.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 25.1% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$153 14.4%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 16.1% $25

Eating Out

Cali

$133 12.6%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$46 4.3%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 47.8% $22

Getting Around

Cali

$35 * 3.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 10% $3.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in Cali and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Cali vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $239 vs $268, with Cali cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

18:28 6:28 PM

12 h ahead of Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

79,308

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cali Phuket 18,630 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Cali
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

Cali vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Cali, 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: $655 in Cali versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cali runs roughly 37% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,060 in Cali versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali 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, Cali 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 Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.