Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,090 in Cali versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,649 in Cali versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,208 in Cali versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Cali costs roughly 13% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cali 21% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 COP 24.3K

$4.56 ฿152

68.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.08 COP 120.1K

$32.62 ฿1,086

16.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.61 COP 27.2K

$8.90 ฿296

-3.26%

Cappuccino

$1.62 COP 5,111

$2.80 ฿93.4

-42.14%

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

$1.26 COP 3,973

$0.88 ฿29.31

43.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 2,755

$0.49 ฿16.29

77.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 10.2K

$2.39 ฿79.5

35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 COP 12.1K

$3.71 ฿124

3.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 COP 4,969

$1.79 ฿59.5

-12.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 COP 6,282

$1.44 ฿48.00

38.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,765

$1.58 ฿52.8

-4.43%

Eggs

$2.83 COP 8,921

$2.13 ฿70.8

32.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 COP 20.3K

$19.92 ฿663

-67.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.06 COP 22.3K

$3.43 ฿114

105.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 COP 32.8K

$11.33 ฿377

-8.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 COP 11.0K

$2.95 ฿98.2

18.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,456

$1.72 ฿57.3

-18.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 COP 5,542

$2.32 ฿77.4

-24.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 COP 5,522

$2.08 ฿69.3

-15.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 COP 4,584

$1.47 ฿48.96

-1.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,949

$1.36 ฿45.22

15.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,640

$1.10 ฿36.59

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 COP 3,272

$0.57 ฿19.13

82.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.70 COP 11.7K

$4.27 ฿142

-13.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 COP 41.8K

$18.42 ฿613

-28.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 COP 4,569

$1.87 ฿62.3

-22.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 COP 7,990

$2.92 ฿97.3

-13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 COP 3,422

$2.22 ฿73.9

-51.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.95 COP 94.5K

$22.90 ฿762

30.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 COP 2,662

$3.03 ฿101

-72.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.77

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿131

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.49 ฿49.68

-12.75%

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

$27.1K ฿903.4K

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

$35.7K COP 112.6M

$27.5K ฿914.1K

29.98%

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

$114 COP 358.3K

$103 ฿3,423

10.45%

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

$13.49 COP 42.6K

$10.99 ฿366

22.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.05 COP 98.0K

$17.51 ฿583

77.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.87 COP 91.1K

$53.5 ฿1,783

-46.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$8.43 COP 26.6K

$7.48 ฿249

12.70%

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

$557 ฿18.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿394.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 COP 253.3K

$64.1 ฿2,134

25.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 COP 171.6K

$29.07 ฿968

87.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 COP 391.8K

$96.0 ฿3,195

29.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 343.7K

$90.3 ฿3,008

20.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$641 COP 2.0M

$730 ฿24.3K

-12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 COP 944.9K

$500 ฿16.6K

-40.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 COP 5.0M

$2,090 ฿69.6K

-24.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 COP 1.6M

$1,209 ฿40.3K

-59.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿119.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿83.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 COP 1.9M

$503 ฿16.8K

17.44%

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: September 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $641 in Cali and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Cali vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $273, with Cali cheaper for home cooking.

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 & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $641 in Cali versus $730 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 $38.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cali runs roughly 31% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,090 in Cali versus $1,253 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 15% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.