Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,473 per month in Cuenca vs $1,223 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,088 per month in Cuenca vs $2,237 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,702 per month in Cuenca vs $3,251 in Phuket, rent included.

Cuenca costs about 20% more than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Cuenca sits 11% above the global median, while Phuket is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.99 €14.63

$4.51 ฿147

276.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.08 €39.68

$46.62 ฿1,515

-1.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 €7.93

$8.49 ฿276

8.36%

Cappuccino

$2.20 €1.90

$3.08 ฿100

-28.57%

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

$2.05 €1.76

$0.68 ฿22.07

201.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$0.36 ฿11.75

338.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.43 ฿78.8

-7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €2.94

$3.63 ฿118

-6.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 €0.88

$2.19 ฿71.1

-53.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.81 ฿59.0

-20.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.23 ฿72.5

-35.87%

Eggs

$2.59 €2.23

$2.24 ฿72.7

15.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 €14.04

$19.60 ฿637

-16.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.31

$3.72 ฿121

159.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 €12.13

$13.47 ฿438

4.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.45

$3.36 ฿109

-15.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.62 ฿52.5

-6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.41 ฿78.3

-34.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 €2.82

$1.99 ฿64.6

64.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.53 ฿49.76

14.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.45 ฿47.19

34.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.01 ฿32.96

35.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.97

$0.48 ฿15.73

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.80 €5.00

$4.27 ฿139

35.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.59 €3.95

$19.12 ฿621

-75.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.84 ฿59.7

-35.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.74 ฿89.1

-37.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.42 ฿46.06

-11.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.22 €29.47

$11.72 ฿381

191.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 €4.06

$3.00 ฿97.6

57.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 €0.89

$1.05 ฿34.00

-0.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.17 €25.12

$13.90 ฿452

109.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.29 ฿41.94

39.53%

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

$39.2K €33.7K

$28.0K ฿911.1K

39.76%

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

$30.5K €26.3K

$33.5K ฿1.1M

-8.84%

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

$134 €116

$122 ฿3,964

10.08%

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

$19.16 €16.50

$13.93 ฿453

37.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.62 €23.78

$18.87 ฿613

46.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.32 €39.89

$61.3 ฿1,992

-24.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.56 €12.54

$16.84 ฿547

-13.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.53 €7.34

$8.89 ฿289

-4.05%

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

$348 €300

$691 ฿22.5K

-49.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,868 €8,498

$16.2K ฿525.2K

-38.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 €61.3

$57.8 ฿1,878

23.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 €34.49

$35.39 ฿1,150

13.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 €85.6

$113 ฿3,685

-12.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €98.1

$83.0 ฿2,698

37.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 €607

$607 ฿19.7K

16.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 €447

$448 ฿14.6K

15.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 €702

$2,029 ฿66.0K

-59.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 €552

$1,493 ฿48.5K

-57.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 €3,004

$3,585 ฿116.5K

-2.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,286 €1,968

$2,585 ฿84.0K

-11.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,459 €1,256

$505 ฿16.4K

189.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

5.33

-32.08%

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

Last update for Cuenca: June 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $705 in Cuenca versus $607 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 189% higher in Cuenca, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Cuenca versus $47.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $292 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,473 in Cuenca, $1,223 in Phuket – roughly 20% apart. Cuenca costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,210 per month in Cuenca and $1,835 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.

Kindergarten costs $348 per month in Cuenca and $691 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Cuenca – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,223, than in Cuenca at $1,473. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuenca it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,223 in Phuket to $1,473 in Cuenca. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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