Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,281 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $890 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,281

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,281 per month in Cartago vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Cartago $1,281
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,972 per month in Cartago vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Cartago $1,972
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $2,663 per month in Cartago vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Cartago $2,663
Phuket $2,867

Cartago costs about 6% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Cartago and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Cartago 5% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 COP 24.0K

$4.58 ฿153

65.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 COP 118.0K

$32.48 ฿1,086

14.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$8.55 ฿286

-0.94%

Cappuccino

$1.54 COP 4,868

$2.72 ฿91.0

-43.38%

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

$1.28 COP 4,050

$0.94 ฿31.25

36.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 COP 2,626

$0.49 ฿16.39

69.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 COP 9,838

$2.59 ฿86.6

19.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 COP 11.6K

$3.83 ฿128

-4.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 COP 5,072

$1.74 ฿58.1

-8.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 COP 5,954

$1.43 ฿47.82

31.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,737

$1.53 ฿51.0

-2.61%

Eggs

$2.93 COP 9,305

$2.17 ฿72.7

35.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 COP 20.9K

$19.15 ฿640

-65.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.11 COP 22.5K

$3.30 ฿110

115.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.93 COP 31.5K

$11.14 ฿372

-10.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 COP 11.3K

$2.95 ฿98.5

21.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,187

$1.68 ฿56.1

-21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,513

$2.30 ฿76.8

-24.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,168

$2.13 ฿71.3

-23.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,508

$1.53 ฿51.1

-7.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,743

$1.36 ฿45.55

10.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,432

$1.12 ฿37.44

-3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 COP 3,250

$0.55 ฿18.24

87.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 COP 11.7K

$4.26 ฿142

-13.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.12 COP 41.6K

$18.19 ฿608

-27.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 COP 4,741

$1.74 ฿58.2

-13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 COP 7,770

$2.79 ฿93.3

-12.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 COP 3,234

$2.22 ฿74.1

-54.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 COP 2,516

$2.91 ฿97.3

-72.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 COP 7,207

$1.01 ฿33.79

124.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 COP 26.6K

$3.83 ฿128

119.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 COP 4,198

$1.49 ฿49.85

-11.41%

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

$28.0K COP 88.9M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

5.05%

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

$34.6K COP 109.9M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

29.71%

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

$110 COP 348.3K

$99.4 ฿3,321

10.54%

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

$13.23 COP 42.0K

$11.28 ฿377

17.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.26 COP 95.9K

$17.36 ฿580

74.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.32 COP 134.2K

$52.3 ฿1,747

-19.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 COP 26.1K

$7.57 ฿253

8.85%

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

$701 COP 2.2M

$558 ฿18.7K

25.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,430 COP 20.4M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-44.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 COP 246.6K

$62.9 ฿2,102

23.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 COP 174.8K

$28.58 ฿955

92.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 COP 401.8K

$96.1 ฿3,213

31.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 350.6K

$88.1 ฿2,943

25.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 COP 2.0M

$729 ฿24.4K

-11.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 COP 1.6M

$460 ฿15.4K

10.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 COP 3.3M

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-50.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 COP 3.1M

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-20.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,999 COP 6.3M

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-42.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,803 COP 5.7M

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-27.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

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 Cartago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$509 39.7%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 9.6% $49

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$241 18.8%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 11% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$167 13%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 25.5% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$153 12%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 16.5% $25

Eating Out

Cartago

$136 10.6%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 10.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$59 4.6%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 14.7% $8.6

Getting Around

Cartago

$16 * 1.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 140% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $645 in Cartago 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Cartago versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Cartago vs $268 in Phuket – so Cartago wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartago

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

18:36 6:36 PM

12 h ahead of Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,365

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 19, 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 19, 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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Highest

Between locations

Cartago Phuket 18,470 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
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

Cartago vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cartago is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,921 per month in Cartago 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 Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,281 in Cartago and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 6%.

Kindergarten costs $701 per month in Cartago and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Cartago at $1,281. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cartago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Cartago makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.