Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Cartagena versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,993 in Cartagena versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,589 in Cartagena versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Cartagena is roughly 13% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 4% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.94 €11.91

$4.63 ฿151

201.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 €49.09

$46.84 ฿1,523

22.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 €6.77

$8.84 ฿287

-10.29%

Cappuccino

$2.57 €2.19

$3.00 ฿97.4

-14.33%

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

$2.39 €2.04

$0.74 ฿24.11

222.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.67

$0.37 ฿11.88

427.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €2.94

$2.44 ฿79.3

40.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €2.94

$3.61 ฿117

-4.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.97

$2.26 ฿73.5

-49.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 €0.86

$1.84 ฿59.8

-45.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.50

$2.24 ฿73.0

-21.43%

Eggs

$2.94 €2.51

$2.32 ฿75.3

26.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 €9.85

$19.67 ฿639

-41.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 €7.20

$3.65 ฿119

130.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 €12.11

$13.10 ฿426

8.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €1.94

$3.39 ฿110

-33.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.54

$1.64 ฿53.4

9.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 €1.18

$2.41 ฿78.5

-42.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.03 ฿66.0

-13.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 €1.10

$1.56 ฿50.6

-17.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.50 ฿48.66

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.02 ฿33.30

7.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.47

$0.49 ฿15.91

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 €4.82

$4.45 ฿145

26.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.19 €5.29

$18.88 ฿614

-67.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 €0.98

$1.78 ฿57.7

-35.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.10

$2.75 ฿89.5

-53.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 €1.21

$1.40 ฿45.54

0.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.64 €9.94

$11.48 ฿373

1.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 €2.97

$3.12 ฿101

11.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.02

$1.00 ฿32.48

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.92 €21.28

$14.09 ฿458

76.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.35 ฿43.93

30.37%

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

$30.9K €26.4K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

13.75%

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

$31.9K €27.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-3.21%

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

$143 €122

$125 ฿4,063

14.76%

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

$13.23 €11.30

$13.57 ฿441

-2.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.14 €25.74

$18.52 ฿602

62.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 €32.98

$61.5 ฿1,999

-37.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.09 €12.89

$16.84 ฿547

-10.39%

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 €6.94

$9.19 ฿299

-11.53%

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

$433 €370

$698 ฿22.7K

-38.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,792 €2,384

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-82.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.05 €37.62

$57.8 ฿1,878

-23.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.92 €27.26

$35.24 ฿1,146

-9.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.25 €37.79

$113 ฿3,677

-60.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.1 €65.8

$86.4 ฿2,808

-10.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 €664

$616 ฿20.0K

26.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 €526

$446 ฿14.5K

38.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 €787

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-55.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 €658

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-48.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,839 €1,571

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-51.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,467 €1,253

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-44.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,842 €1,573

$524 ฿17.0K

251.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

5.33

-35.46%

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

Last update for Cartagena: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $778 in Cartagena and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 252% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $57.0 in Cartagena vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $234 vs $292, with Cartagena 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

Cartagena vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Cartagena. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Cartagena pays 252% more on average, 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: $778 in Cartagena versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $57.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,397 per month in Cartagena versus $1,232 in Phuket – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,397 in Cartagena, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,232 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cartagena 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 13% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.