Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotacachi and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotacachi: $717 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Cotacachi
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Cotacachi Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Cotacachi

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$717

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $717 in Cotacachi versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Cotacachi $717
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,170 in Cotacachi versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Cotacachi $1,170
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,623 in Cotacachi versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Cotacachi $1,623
Phuket $3,154

Living in Cotacachi costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cotacachi 47% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.88 $3.88

$4.47 ฿151

-13.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.87 $25.87

$32.41 ฿1,093

-20.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 $4.58

$8.81 ฿297

-48.01%

Cappuccino

$2.21 $2.21

$2.83 ฿95.4

-21.91%

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

$1.36 $1.36

$0.87 ฿29.41

56.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.49 ฿16.65

63.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.56 ฿86.3

-23.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.68 ฿124

8.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.66 ฿55.9

-33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.46 ฿49.31

4.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.50 ฿50.5

1.33%

Eggs

$2.11 $2.11

$2.09 ฿70.5

0.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$19.07 ฿643

-66.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$3.30 ฿111

59.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 $7.46

$10.91 ฿368

-31.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.93 ฿98.9

-24.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.69 ฿57.0

-32.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.25 ฿75.8

-41.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.08 ฿70.0

-47.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.51 ฿51.0

-17.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.38 ฿46.52

-23.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.07 ฿35.96

-22.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.52 ฿17.51

98.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.20 ฿142

6.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$18.79 ฿634

-60.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.82 ฿61.5

-17.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.84 ฿95.8

7.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 $0.45

$1.45 ฿48.98

-68.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.03 $15.03

$56.7 ฿1,912

-73.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 $1.24

$3.02 ฿102

-58.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.02 ฿34.33

-4.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.89 $9.89

$3.69 ฿125

168.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.47 ฿49.76

-47.62%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$26.8K ฿903.4K

-15.29%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$26.7K ฿900.5K

11.96%

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

$29.09 $29.09

$96.4 ฿3,251

-69.81%

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

$12.57 $12.57

$11.26 ฿380

11.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.27 $26.27

$16.85 ฿568

55.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.56 $30.56

$67.2 ฿2,268

-54.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.16 $10.16

$10.73 ฿362

-5.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 $6.52

$7.50 ฿253

-13.07%

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

$76.0 $76.0

$476 ฿16.1K

-84.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,952 $2,952

$11.3K ฿380.0K

-73.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.41 $41.41

$62.4 ฿2,104

-33.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.47 $42.47

$28.41 ฿958

49.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 $95.1

$94.3 ฿3,181

0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 $59.2

$85.8 ฿2,895

-30.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$264 $264

$716 ฿24.2K

-63.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 $190

$491 ฿16.6K

-61.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$473 $473

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-75.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 $414

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-71.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$598 $598

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-85.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$517 $517

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-83.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$433 $433

$502 ฿16.9K

-13.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

5.57

81.69%

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

Last update for Cotacachi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cotacachi

$190 26.5%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 158% $301

Groceries & Markets

Cotacachi

$187 26.1%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 42.1% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Cotacachi

$107 15%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 13.7% $15

Eating Out

Cotacachi

$98 13.6%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 24.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotacachi

$68 9.5%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 83.3% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Cotacachi

$44 6.1%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 88.6% $39

Getting Around

Cotacachi

$23 3.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 208% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $264 in Cotacachi and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 16% 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: $26 in Cotacachi vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $266 per month, with Cotacachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cotacachi

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:58 5:58 AM

17:58 5:58 PM

12 h ahead of Cotacachi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,238

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cotacachi Phuket 19,030 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Cotacachi
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

Cotacachi vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $717 in Cotacachi and $1,278 in Phuket, so Cotacachi is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Cotacachi. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $264 in Cotacachi versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cotacachi runs roughly 73% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $76 in Cotacachi versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $717 in Cotacachi versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Cotacachi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cotacachi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cotacachi and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Cotacachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.