Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cumbaya and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Cumbaya: $889 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cumbaya, Ecuador
Phuket, Thailand
Cumbaya
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$889
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $889 per month in Cumbaya vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Cumbaya $889
  • Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $1,464 per month in Cumbaya vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Cumbaya $1,464
  • Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $2,038 per month in Cumbaya vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Cumbaya $2,038
  • Phuket $3,154

Cumbaya is about 30% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cumbaya and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Cumbaya 35% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cumbaya
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.37 $5.37
$4.47 ฿151
20.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$55.0 $55.0
$32.41 ฿1,094
69.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.66 $7.66
$8.81 ฿297
-13.05%
Cappuccino
$3.33 $3.33
$2.83 ฿95.5
17.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 $1.43
$0.87 ฿29.43
64.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 $1.09
$0.49 ฿16.67
122.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 $3.42
$2.56 ฿86.4
33.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.12 $6.12
$3.68 ฿124
66.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cumbaya
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.66 ฿56.0
-34.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.46 ฿49.35
5.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.50 ฿50.6
0.67%
Eggs
$2.08 $2.08
$2.09 ฿70.5
-0.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.51 $6.51
$19.07 ฿644
-65.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.31 $5.31
$3.30 ฿111
60.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.50 $7.50
$10.91 ฿368
-31.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 $2.20
$2.93 ฿99.0
-24.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.18 $1.18
$1.69 ฿57.1
-30.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.33 $1.33
$2.25 ฿75.8
-40.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.12 $1.12
$2.08 ฿70.1
-46.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.51 ฿51.0
-16.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.38 ฿46.56
-25.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 $0.90
$1.07 ฿35.99
-15.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 $1.04
$0.52 ฿17.52
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.82 $5.82
$4.20 ฿142
38.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.56 $8.56
$18.79 ฿634
-54.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.82 ฿61.5
-13.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 $3.10
$2.84 ฿95.9
9.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Cumbaya
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 $0.36
$1.45 ฿49.03
-75.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 $1.51
$3.02 ฿102
-50.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.02 ฿34.36
50.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.93 $9.93
$3.69 ฿125
169.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 $0.83
$1.47 ฿49.81
-43.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.9K $22.9K
$26.8K ฿904.3K
-14.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.2K $30.2K
$26.7K ฿901.3K
13.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cumbaya
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$28.72 $28.72
$96.4 ฿3,254
-70.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.72 $17.72
$11.26 ฿380
57.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.01 $28.01
$16.85 ฿569
66.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cumbaya
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$27.41 $27.41
$67.2 ฿2,270
-59.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.61 $14.61
$10.73 ฿362
36.16%
Cinema Ticket
$6.74 $6.74
$7.50 ฿253
-10.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cumbaya
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$736 $736
$476 ฿16.1K
54.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,063 $9,063
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-19.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cumbaya
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.8 $69.8
$62.4 ฿2,106
11.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.69 $49.69
$28.41 ฿959
74.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$115 $115
$94.3 ฿3,184
21.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$85.8 ฿2,898
24.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cumbaya
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$377 $377
$716 ฿24.2K
-47.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$274 $274
$491 ฿16.6K
-44.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$825 $825
$1,927 ฿65.1K
-57.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$498 $498
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-65.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cumbaya
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿17.0K
-
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 Cumbaya: 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
Cumbaya
$274
Phuket
$491 79.4% $217
Groceries & Markets
Cumbaya
$191
Phuket
$266 39.2% $75
Clothing & Footwear
Cumbaya
$153
Phuket
$122 20.5% $31
Eating Out
Cumbaya
$145
Phuket
$122 16.3% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cumbaya
$74
Phuket
$124 67.2% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Cumbaya
$41
Phuket
$82 101% $41
Getting Around
Cumbaya
$11 *
Phuket
$71 563% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $377 in Cumbaya versus $716 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Cumbaya versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $191 in Cumbaya vs $266 in Phuket – so Cumbaya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇨 Cumbaya
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
13:40 1:40 PM
01:40 1:40 AM
12 h ahead of Cumbaya
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cumbaya Phuket 19,090 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cumbaya
  • 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
Cumbaya vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cumbaya or Phuket?
Phuket costs about 44% more than Cumbaya, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cumbaya and in Phuket?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,334 per month in Cumbaya and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Cumbaya or Phuket?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cumbaya, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $377 there versus $716 in Phuket.
How do dining costs compare in Cumbaya and in Phuket?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Cumbaya and $32 in Phuket. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Cumbaya or in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 39% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $800/month in Cumbaya or in Phuket?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $889 in Cumbaya and $1,278 in Phuket. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Cumbaya or Phuket?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cumbaya costs $889 versus $1,278 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Cumbaya compared to Phuket?
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.

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