Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,933 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,933 in Escazu versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Escazu $1,933
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,966 in Escazu versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Escazu $2,966
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,999 in Escazu versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Escazu $3,999
Phuket $2,867

Living in Escazu is roughly 60% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Escazu is 43% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 ₡5,486

$4.58 ฿153

167.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 ₡27.9K

$32.48 ฿1,086

91.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 ₡5,146

$8.55 ฿286

34.27%

Cappuccino

$4.56 ₡2,045

$2.72 ฿91.0

67.65%

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

$2.72 ₡1,218

$0.94 ฿31.25

189.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₡828

$0.49 ฿16.39

277.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,505

$2.59 ฿86.6

29.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,006

$3.83 ฿128

16.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₡1,040

$1.74 ฿58.1

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,397

$1.43 ฿47.82

118.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,117

$1.53 ฿51.0

62.75%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.17 ฿72.7

65.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,757

$19.15 ฿640

-44.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,581

$3.30 ฿110

209.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,252

$11.14 ฿372

25.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 ₡2,301

$2.95 ฿98.5

73.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡726

$1.68 ฿56.1

-3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 ₡1,416

$2.30 ฿76.8

37.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,378

$2.13 ฿71.3

44.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,698

$1.53 ฿51.1

147.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$1.36 ฿45.55

174.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡465

$1.12 ฿37.44

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₡762

$0.55 ฿18.24

209.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 ₡2,479

$4.26 ฿142

29.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 ₡8,249

$18.19 ฿608

1.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₡745

$1.74 ฿58.2

-4.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,202

$2.79 ฿93.3

-3.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₡491

$2.22 ฿74.1

-50.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₡923

$2.91 ฿97.3

-29.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.01 ฿33.79

55.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₡3,927

$3.83 ฿128

128.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₡664

$1.49 ฿49.85

-0.67%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-15.97%

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

$35.2K ₡15.8M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

31.72%

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

$94.6 ₡42.4K

$99.4 ฿3,321

-4.85%

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

$29.81 ₡13.4K

$11.28 ฿377

164.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 ₡27.0K

$17.36 ฿580

246.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 ₡48.6K

$52.3 ฿1,747

107.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₡4,550

$10.85 ฿362

-6.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ₡3,502

$7.57 ฿253

3.17%

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

$457 ₡204.9K

$558 ฿18.7K

-18.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$11.5K ฿383.9K

47.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 ₡31.9K

$62.9 ฿2,102

12.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.0K

$28.58 ฿955

94.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.6K

$96.1 ฿3,213

35.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.4K

$88.1 ฿2,943

47.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 ₡373.9K

$729 ฿24.4K

14.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 ₡378.8K

$460 ฿15.4K

83.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 ₡879.3K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-6.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 ₡676.4K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

23.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,407 ₡630.8K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-59.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$972 ₡435.7K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-60.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 ₡782.8K

$493 ฿16.5K

254.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.57

54.76%

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

Last update for Escazu: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Escazu

$845 43.7%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 45.5% $385

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$361 18.7%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 25.8% $93

Eating Out

Escazu

$231 12%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 47.5% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$184 9.5%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 30.6% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 28.9% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$124 6.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 45.6% $57

Getting Around

Escazu

$14 * 0.7%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 172% $25

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 $834 in Escazu and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 254% 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: $62.0 in Escazu vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:22 7:22 AM

20:22 8:22 PM

13 h ahead of Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

79,308

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Escazu Phuket 18,020 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Escazu
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

Escazu vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 254% higher in Escazu, 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: $834 in Escazu versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,933 per month in Escazu versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,933 in Escazu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Escazu. 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 Escazu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Escazu 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 60% less than in Escazu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.