Cost of Living Comparison Between Cucuta and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cucuta and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $696 in Cucuta versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,113 in Cucuta versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,530 in Cucuta versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Cucuta costs roughly 44% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cucuta 48% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.68 COP 12.0K

$4.55 ฿153

-19.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.03 COP 78.1K

$46.18 ฿1,550

-47.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 23.8K

$8.84 ฿297

-17.19%

Cappuccino

$0.99 COP 3,209

$3.06 ฿103

-67.65%

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

$0.88 COP 2,863

$0.73 ฿24.36

20.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 COP 1,136

$0.40 ฿13.37

-12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 COP 3,934

$2.43 ฿81.6

-50.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 COP 7,205

$3.78 ฿127

-41.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 COP 2,838

$2.26 ฿75.8

-61.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 COP 3,104

$1.81 ฿60.8

-47.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 COP 3,243

$2.25 ฿75.7

-55.56%

Eggs

$2.12 COP 6,886

$2.25 ฿75.4

-5.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.45 COP 17.7K

$19.51 ฿655

-72.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.29 COP 17.2K

$3.65 ฿122

44.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 COP 23.7K

$13.05 ฿438

-44.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 COP 8,275

$3.23 ฿109

-21.05%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 COP 2,455

$1.62 ฿54.3

-53.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.70 COP 2,286

$2.38 ฿80.0

-70.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 COP 2,046

$2.03 ฿68.0

-68.97%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 COP 2,467

$1.53 ฿51.5

-50.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 COP 2,070

$1.50 ฿50.4

-57.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 COP 1,901

$0.98 ฿32.85

-40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 COP 2,431

$0.52 ฿17.36

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 COP 7,770

$4.44 ฿149

-46.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 COP 38.5K

$18.32 ฿615

-35.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 COP 3,667

$1.86 ฿62.6

-39.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 COP 5,581

$2.68 ฿90.0

-35.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 COP 2,175

$1.41 ฿47.37

-52.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.69 COP 96.5K

$11.70 ฿393

153.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,600

$3.11 ฿104

-54.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 COP 4,885

$1.04 ฿35.00

44.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 COP 17.2K

$14.11 ฿474

-62.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,207

$1.31 ฿44.02

-24.43%

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

$17.6K COP 57.4M

$27.8K ฿933.8K

-36.56%

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

$26.0K COP 84.4M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-21.83%

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

$85.5 COP 277.9K

$122 ฿4,110

-30.19%

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

$9.18 COP 29.9K

$13.59 ฿456

-32.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.24 COP 62.6K

$18.70 ฿628

2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.55 COP 76.6K

$60.5 ฿2,031

-61.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.82 COP 28.7K

$16.98 ฿570

-48.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 COP 13.1K

$9.07 ฿305

-55.79%

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

$324 COP 1.1M

$706 ฿23.7K

-54.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,243 COP 13.8M

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-73.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 COP 193.4K

$58.6 ฿1,965

1.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.18 COP 104.6K

$35.36 ฿1,187

-8.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 COP 272.7K

$115 ฿3,876

-27.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 COP 227.3K

$83.7 ฿2,811

-16.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 COP 826.4K

$626 ฿21.0K

-59.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 COP 550.1K

$445 ฿14.9K

-61.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 COP 1.9M

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-71.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 COP 1.2M

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-75.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,770 COP 5.8M

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-49.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,295 COP 4.2M

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-49.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 COP 1.6M

$500 ฿16.8K

0.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.18

5.33

147.28%

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

Last update for Cucuta: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $254 in Cucuta and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cucuta pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cucuta vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $166 vs $289 per month, with Cucuta cheaper across the board.

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

Cucuta vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cucuta is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Cucuta, 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: $254 in Cucuta versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cucuta – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $696 in Cucuta versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cucuta but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cucuta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cucuta 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, Cucuta 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 Cucuta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.