Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guayaquil and Phuket

Name: Phuket
Address: Phuket, TH

For one person, living is cheaper in Guayaquil: $1,136 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,136

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,136 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,136
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,775 per month in Guayaquil vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,775
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $2,413 per month in Guayaquil vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Guayaquil $2,413
Phuket $2,867

Guayaquil is about 6% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Guayaquil and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Guayaquil 16% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.94 $3.94

$4.58 ฿153

-13.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 $52.6

$32.48 ฿1,086

62.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 $9.15

$8.55 ฿286

7.02%

Cappuccino

$2.82 $2.82

$2.72 ฿91.0

3.68%

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

$0.91 $0.91

$0.94 ฿31.25

-3.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

$0.49 ฿16.39

51.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.59 ฿86.6

17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.83 ฿128

8.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.74 ฿58.1

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.43 ฿47.82

38.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.53 ฿51.0

-3.92%

Eggs

$2.07 $2.07

$2.17 ฿72.7

-4.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$19.15 ฿640

-63.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$3.30 ฿110

56.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 $9.26

$11.14 ฿372

-16.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.95 ฿98.5

-49.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.68 ฿56.1

-32.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.30 ฿76.8

-57.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.13 ฿71.3

-55.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.53 ฿51.1

-20.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.36 ฿45.55

-27.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.12 ฿37.44

-21.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.55 ฿18.24

70.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 $5.91

$4.26 ฿142

38.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 $12.19

$18.19 ฿608

-32.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.74 ฿58.2

-10.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.79 ฿93.3

-21.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$2.22 ฿74.1

-83.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.61 $19.61

$22.06 ฿737

-11.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.91 ฿97.3

-4.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.01 ฿33.79

78.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.16 $12.16

$3.83 ฿128

217.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.49 ฿49.85

-40.94%

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

$21.1K $21.1K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-20.79%

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

$31.3K $31.3K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

17.22%

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

$131 $131

$99.4 ฿3,321

31.63%

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

$14.76 $14.76

$11.28 ฿377

30.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.25 $26.25

$17.36 ฿580

51.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.30 $46.30

$52.3 ฿1,747

-11.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.54 $26.54

$10.85 ฿362

144.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 $7.29

$7.57 ฿253

-3.70%

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

$378 $378

$558 ฿18.7K

-32.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,590 $5,590

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-51.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 $66.2

$62.9 ฿2,102

5.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.10 $41.10

$28.58 ฿955

43.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 $124

$96.1 ฿3,213

28.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 $93.8

$88.1 ฿2,943

6.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 $476

$729 ฿24.4K

-34.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 $401

$460 ฿15.4K

-12.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 $800

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-61.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 $740

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-39.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,275 $2,275

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-34.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 $1,451

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-41.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$612 $612

$493 ฿16.5K

24.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

5.57

80.43%

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

Last update for Guayaquil: October 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Guayaquil

$401 35.3%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 14.7% $59

Groceries & Markets

Guayaquil

$200 17.6%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 33.7% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guayaquil

$172 15.1%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 25.5% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Guayaquil

$146 12.9%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 15.1% $22

Eating Out

Guayaquil

$123 10.8%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 1.4% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Guayaquil

$61 5.4%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 10.7% $6.5

Getting Around

Guayaquil

$33 2.9%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 18.5% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Guayaquil versus $729 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 24% higher in Guayaquil, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Guayaquil versus $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Guayaquil vs $268 in Phuket – so Guayaquil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

03:49 3:49 AM

12 h ahead of Guayaquil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

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Guayaquil Phuket 19,370 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Guayaquil
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

Guayaquil vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,704 per month in Guayaquil and $1,811 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guayaquil, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $378 per month in Guayaquil and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guayaquil, where all-in costs run around $1,136, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Guayaquil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guayaquil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Guayaquil. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.