Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $989 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$989

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $989 per month in Cuenca vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Cuenca $989
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,482 per month in Cuenca vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Cuenca $1,482
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,976 per month in Cuenca vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Cuenca $1,976
Phuket $2,867

Cuenca is about 18% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cuenca and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Cuenca 27% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$4.58 ฿153

-21.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.50 $29.50

$32.48 ฿1,086

-9.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 $7.79

$8.55 ฿286

-8.89%

Cappuccino

$2.65 $2.65

$2.72 ฿91.0

-2.57%

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

$0.83 $0.83

$0.94 ฿31.25

-11.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.49 ฿16.39

44.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.59 ฿86.6

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.83 ฿128

-16.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.74 ฿58.1

-41.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.43 ฿47.82

51.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.53 ฿51.0

22.22%

Eggs

$2.27 $2.27

$2.17 ฿72.7

4.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$19.15 ฿640

-62.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.30 ฿110

78.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 $7.47

$11.14 ฿372

-32.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.95 ฿98.5

-31.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.68 ฿56.1

-35.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.30 ฿76.8

-40.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$2.13 ฿71.3

-34.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.53 ฿51.1

0.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.36 ฿45.55

-20.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.12 ฿37.44

-33.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.55 ฿18.24

105.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.26 ฿142

24.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$18.19 ฿608

-44.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.74 ฿58.2

-13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.79 ฿93.3

7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$2.22 ฿74.1

-83.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.94 $15.94

$22.06 ฿737

-27.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.91 ฿97.3

-53.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.01 ฿33.79

5.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.83 $10.83

$3.83 ฿128

182.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.49 ฿49.85

-41.61%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-8.15%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

10.97%

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

$39.83 $39.83

$99.4 ฿3,321

-59.92%

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

$13.33 $13.33

$11.28 ฿377

18.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.61 $26.61

$17.36 ฿580

53.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.02 $30.02

$52.3 ฿1,747

-42.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 $5.18

$10.85 ฿362

-52.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 $7.22

$7.57 ฿253

-4.62%

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

$227 $227

$558 ฿18.7K

-59.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,764 $6,764

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-41.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$62.9 ฿2,102

7.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.84 $46.84

$28.58 ฿955

63.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$96.1 ฿3,213

30.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$88.1 ฿2,943

-18.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 $529

$729 ฿24.4K

-27.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 $386

$460 ฿15.4K

-16.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 $709

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-66.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 $608

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-50.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,221 $1,221

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-64.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$857 $857

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-65.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$561 $561

$493 ฿16.5K

13.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

5.57

100.36%

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

Last update for Cuenca: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$386 39.1%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 19.1% $74

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$208 21%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 28.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$140 14.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 11.4% $16

Eating Out

Cuenca

$107 10.8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 13.7% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8.1%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 60.5% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 51.6% $23

Getting Around

Cuenca

$24 2.4%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 61.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Cuenca 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.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Cuenca, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Cuenca versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $268 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

00:12 12:12 AM

12 h ahead of Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cuenca Phuket 19,390 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuenca
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

Cuenca vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,483 per month in Cuenca 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 Cuenca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Cuenca and $32.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $989 in Cuenca and $1,207 in Phuket. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuenca, where all-in costs run around $989, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Cuenca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuenca – 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 Cuenca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.