Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cucuta and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,351 in Cucuta, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Cucuta
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Cucuta Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Cucuta

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,351

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,351 in Cucuta versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Cucuta $1,351
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,116 in Cucuta versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Cucuta $2,116
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,880 in Cucuta versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Cucuta $2,880
Phuket $2,845

Living in Cucuta is roughly 12% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cucuta is 0% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.99 COP 31.7K

$4.40 ฿147

127.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.93 COP 148.8K

$32.26 ฿1,078

45.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.66 COP 30.6K

$8.76 ฿293

10.27%

Cappuccino

$2.60 COP 8,234

$2.83 ฿94.5

-8.13%

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

$1.47 COP 4,670

$0.90 ฿30.14

63.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 COP 3,267

$0.47 ฿15.56

119.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 10.2K

$2.55 ฿85.2

25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.83 ฿128

1.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 COP 5,123

$1.73 ฿57.7

-6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 COP 7,929

$1.47 ฿49.11

70.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,363

$1.51 ฿50.6

11.92%

Eggs

$3.23 COP 10.2K

$2.17 ฿72.7

48.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 COP 25.2K

$19.70 ฿658

-59.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.62 COP 33.7K

$3.34 ฿112

217.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 COP 40.1K

$11.16 ฿373

13.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 COP 13.3K

$2.85 ฿95.1

47.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,454

$1.70 ฿56.9

-17.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,396

$2.19 ฿73.3

-7.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 COP 5,789

$2.05 ฿68.4

-10.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 COP 5,683

$1.45 ฿48.57

23.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,869

$1.38 ฿46.16

11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 COP 3,511

$1.07 ฿35.69

3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 COP 3,885

$0.51 ฿16.91

141.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 COP 14.7K

$4.26 ฿142

9.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 COP 40.4K

$18.58 ฿621

-31.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,942

$1.78 ฿59.7

-30.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 COP 6,979

$2.85 ฿95.2

-22.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 COP 3,159

$2.26 ฿75.6

-55.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 COP 5,075

$3.01 ฿101

-46.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 COP 5,943

$1.06 ฿35.34

76.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.41 COP 26.7K

$3.86 ฿129

117.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,129

$1.45 ฿48.45

-10.34%

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

$31.6K COP 100.2M

$26.3K ฿879.9K

19.99%

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

$37.3K COP 118.3M

$26.9K ฿900.4K

38.42%

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

$125 COP 396.2K

$96.4 ฿3,221

29.65%

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

$11.90 COP 37.7K

$11.04 ฿369

7.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.42 COP 90.1K

$17.14 ฿573

65.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.19 COP 114.8K

$52.2 ฿1,744

-30.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$6.54 COP 20.7K

$7.81 ฿261

-16.26%

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

$533 COP 1.7M

$556 ฿18.6K

-4.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,705 COP 27.6M

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-24.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 COP 272.4K

$64.2 ฿2,146

33.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.79 COP 154.7K

$28.69 ฿959

70.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 COP 445.0K

$95.4 ฿3,187

47.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 323.2K

$88.0 ฿2,940

15.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.1M

$737 ฿24.6K

-11.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 COP 1.6M

$462 ฿15.5K

6.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 COP 3.5M

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-46.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$953 COP 3.0M

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-20.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 COP 6.8M

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-38.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,499 COP 4.8M

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-40.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$572 COP 1.8M

$501 ฿16.7K

14.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

115.44%

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

Last update for Cucuta: October 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cucuta

$492 36.4%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 6% $30

Groceries & Markets

Cucuta

$286 21.2%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 6.1% $17

Eating Out

Cucuta

$174 12.9%

Phuket

$121 10% 30.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Cucuta

$170 12.6%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 26.7% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cucuta

$165 12.2%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 24.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Cucuta

$49 3.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 37.6% $19

Getting Around

Cucuta

$15 * 1.1%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 164% $24

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $653 in Cucuta and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cucuta pays 14% 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: $47.00 in Cucuta vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $269 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cucuta

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

05:48 5:48 AM

17:48 5:48 PM

12 h ahead of Cucuta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

777,106

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 20, 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 20, 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

Cucuta Phuket 17,990 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Cucuta
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

Cucuta vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $653 in Cucuta versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $533 in Cucuta versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $47.00 in Cucuta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,351 in Cucuta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cucuta. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cucuta, 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Cucuta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.