Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Viejo and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in El Viejo: $818 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in El Viejo
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El Viejo Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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El Viejo

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$818

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $818 in El Viejo versus $1,278 in Phuket.

El Viejo $818
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,280 in El Viejo versus $2,216 in Phuket.

El Viejo $1,280
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,741 in El Viejo versus $3,154 in Phuket.

El Viejo $1,741
Phuket $3,154

Living in El Viejo costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Viejo 40% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 NIO 369

$4.47 ฿151

125.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.12 NIO 1,286

$32.41 ฿1,094

8.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 NIO 277

$8.81 ฿297

-14.07%

Cappuccino

$2.58 NIO 94.3

$2.83 ฿95.5

-8.83%

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

$0.91 NIO 33.29

$0.87 ฿29.43

4.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 NIO 25.33

$0.49 ฿16.67

40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 NIO 54.1

$2.56 ฿86.4

-42.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 NIO 82.9

$3.68 ฿124

-38.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 NIO 46.10

$1.66 ฿56.0

-24.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 NIO 85.5

$1.46 ฿49.35

59.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 NIO 68.4

$1.50 ฿50.6

24.67%

Eggs

$2.39 NIO 87.6

$2.09 ฿70.5

14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 NIO 422

$19.07 ฿644

-39.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 NIO 233

$3.30 ฿111

92.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.56 NIO 277

$10.91 ฿368

-30.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 NIO 150

$2.93 ฿99.0

40.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 NIO 22.84

$1.69 ฿57.1

-63.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 NIO 64.2

$2.25 ฿75.8

-22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 NIO 91.5

$2.08 ฿70.1

20.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.97 NIO 145

$1.51 ฿51.0

162.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 NIO 79.6

$1.38 ฿46.56

57.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 NIO 39.61

$1.07 ฿35.99

0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 NIO 37.18

$0.52 ฿17.52

96.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 NIO 103

$4.20 ฿142

-33.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 NIO 548

$18.79 ฿634

-20.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 NIO 51.6

$1.82 ฿61.5

-22.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NIO 81.8

$2.84 ฿95.9

-21.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 NIO 60.5

$3.02 ฿102

-45.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 NIO 58.6

$1.02 ฿34.36

56.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.74 NIO 247

$3.69 ฿125

82.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 NIO 49.65

$1.47 ฿49.81

-7.48%

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

$23.4K NIO 856.6K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-12.66%

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

$26.8K NIO 981.2K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

0.38%

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

$151 NIO 5,540

$96.4 ฿3,254

57.00%

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

$19.54 NIO 716

$11.26 ฿380

73.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.99 NIO 1,172

$16.85 ฿569

89.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 NIO 327

$7.50 ฿253

19.07%

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

$234 NIO 8,571

$476 ฿16.1K

-50.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,960 NIO 218.3K

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-47.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 NIO 2,162

$62.4 ฿2,106

-5.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 NIO 2,407

$28.41 ฿959

131.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 NIO 4,467

$94.3 ฿3,184

29.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NIO 5,212

$85.8 ฿2,898

65.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.92

5.57

114.00%

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

Last update for El Viejo: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

El Viejo

$260 31.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 2.4% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Viejo

$203 24.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 38.6% $78

Clothing & Footwear

El Viejo

$175 21.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 30.4% $53

Eating Out

El Viejo

$153 18.7%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 20.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

El Viejo

$18 * 2.2%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 360% $64

Getting Around

El Viejo

$9.7 * 1.2%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 631% $61

Accommodation & Living

El Viejo

- * 0%

Phuket

$491 38.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35 in El Viejo vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $266, with El Viejo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇮 El Viejo

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

16:51 4:51 PM

05:51 5:51 AM

13 h ahead of El Viejo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,607

79,308

💱 Currency

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.45 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to NIO – Nicaraguan Córdoba Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇮 Nicaraguan Córdoba (C$)

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 40.77 NIO (100 NIO = 2.45 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).

USD to NIO in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

El Viejo Phuket 17,650 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

El Viejo
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

El Viejo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Viejo is about 36% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,227 in El Viejo and $1,917 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $35 in El Viejo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $234 in El Viejo versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $818 in El Viejo versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in El Viejo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes El Viejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, El Viejo and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.