😐Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,299 in Florencia versus $1,253 in Phuket.
😐Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,055 in Florencia versus $2,043 in Phuket.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,812 in Florencia versus $2,833 in Phuket.
🌍Living in Florencia is roughly 4% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊Both cities sit below the global median: Florencia5% lower, Phuket9% lower.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Florencia
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.31COP 23.0K
$4.56฿150
60.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.90COP 141.1K
$32.62฿1,073
37.65%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.52COP 26.8K
$8.90฿293
-4.27%
Cappuccino
$2.89COP 9,095
$2.80฿92.2
3.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34COP 4,198
$0.88฿28.94
52.27%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02COP 3,195
$0.49฿16.08
108.16%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.17COP 6,809
$2.39฿78.5
-9.21%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.93COP 12.4K
$3.71฿122
5.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Florencia
Phuket
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.39COP 4,370
$1.79฿58.8
-22.35%
White Bread(500g)
$2.19COP 6,882
$1.44฿47.40
52.08%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.84COP 5,769
$1.58฿52.1
16.46%
Eggs
$2.87COP 9,032
$2.13฿69.9
34.74%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$6.39COP 20.1K
$19.92฿655
-67.92%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$10.13COP 31.8K
$3.43฿113
195.34%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.79COP 37.1K
$11.33฿372
4.06%
Apples(1kg)
$3.25COP 10.2K
$2.95฿97.0
10.17%
Banana(1kg)
$1.69COP 5,299
$1.72฿56.6
-1.74%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.86COP 5,836
$2.32฿76.5
-19.83%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.78COP 5,604
$2.08฿68.4
-14.42%
Potato(1kg)
$1.53COP 4,815
$1.47฿48.34
4.08%
Onion(1kg)
$1.49COP 4,684
$1.36฿44.65
9.56%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.18COP 3,708
$1.10฿36.13
7.27%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15COP 3,622
$0.57฿18.89
101.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.18COP 13.1K
$4.27฿140
-2.11%
Wine(Bottle)
$13.76COP 43.3K
$18.42฿606
-25.30%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61COP 5,063
$1.87฿61.5
-13.90%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63COP 8,263
$2.92฿96.1
-9.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Florencia
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.06COP 3,346
$2.22฿73.0
-52.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
-
$22.90฿753
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.75COP 5,503
$3.03฿99.6
-42.24%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$2.14COP 6,734
$1.07฿35.32
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$9.10COP 28.6K
$3.93฿129
131.55%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.42COP 4,467
$1.49฿49.06
-4.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3KCOP 76.3M
$27.1K฿892.0K
-10.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3KCOP 95.3M
$27.5K฿902.6K
10.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Florencia
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$141COP 442.0K
$103฿3,380
36.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.47COP 39.2K
$10.99฿361
13.47%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.90COP 90.8K
$17.51฿576
65.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Florencia
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$37.04COP 116.4K
$53.5฿1,760
-30.81%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$11.20฿368
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.60COP 17.6K
$7.48฿246
-25.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Florencia
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$691COP 2.2M
$557฿18.3K
24.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$5,632COP 17.7M
$11.9K฿389.7K
-52.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Florencia
Phuket
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.2COP 299.3K
$64.1฿2,107
48.60%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.1COP 195.3K
$29.07฿956
113.76%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$149COP 469.5K
$96.0฿3,155
55.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119COP 374.0K
$90.3฿2,970
31.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Florencia
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$630COP 2.0M
$730฿24.0K
-13.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$465COP 1.5M
$500฿16.4K
-7.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,131COP 3.6M
$2,090฿68.7K
-45.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$965COP 3.0M
$1,209฿39.8K
-20.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$2,093COP 6.6M
$3,596฿118.2K
-41.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,748COP 5.5M
$2,512฿82.6K
-30.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Florencia
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
-
$503฿16.6K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
11.58
5.57
107.90%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Florencia: August 31, 2026
Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $630 in Florencia and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $45.00 in Florencia vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $273, with Florencia cheaper for home cooking.
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
Florencia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Florencia and in Phuket?
Florencia and Phuket differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,299 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Florencia compared to Phuket?
You'd need roughly $1,949 in Florencia and $1,880 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Florencia and in Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $630 in Florencia versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Florencia and Phuket?
Childcare runs $691 in Florencia versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $45.00 in Florencia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,299 in Florencia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Florencia. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Florencia and Phuket?
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.
Is Florencia or Phuket safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Florencia 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.
Where should expats move: Florencia or Phuket?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Florencia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.