Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Loja and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $676 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$676

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $676 per month in Loja vs $1,207 in Phuket, rent included.

Loja $676
Phuket $1,207

A couple spends around $1,067 per month in Loja vs $2,037 in Phuket, rent included.

Loja $1,067
Phuket $2,037

A family of three spends $1,459 per month in Loja vs $2,867 in Phuket, rent included.

Loja $1,459
Phuket $2,867

Loja is about 44% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Loja and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Loja 50% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.08 $3.08

$4.58 ฿153

-32.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.71 $20.71

$32.48 ฿1,086

-36.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 $5.44

$8.55 ฿286

-36.37%

Cappuccino

$2.22 $2.22

$2.72 ฿91.0

-18.38%

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

$0.77 $0.77

$0.94 ฿31.25

-18.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 $0.45

$0.49 ฿16.39

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.59 ฿86.6

-52.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.83 ฿128

-17.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.74 ฿58.1

-43.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.43 ฿47.82

5.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.53 ฿51.0

-13.73%

Eggs

$1.92 $1.92

$2.17 ฿72.7

-11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$19.15 ฿640

-69.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.30 ฿110

25.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$11.14 ฿372

-46.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.95 ฿98.5

-42.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.68 ฿56.1

-37.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.30 ฿76.8

-48.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.13 ฿71.3

-49.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.53 ฿51.1

-30.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.36 ฿45.55

-21.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.12 ฿37.44

-54.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.55 ฿18.24

105.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.23 $5.23

$4.26 ฿142

22.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 $6.86

$18.19 ฿608

-62.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.74 ฿58.2

-12.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.79 ฿93.3

9.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$2.22 ฿74.1

-86.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.33 $30.33

$22.06 ฿737

37.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.91 ฿97.3

-56.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.01 ฿33.79

7.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.83 ฿128

157.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.49 ฿49.85

-47.65%

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

$14.8K $14.8K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-44.43%

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

$28.7K $28.7K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

7.51%

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

$19.65 $19.65

$99.4 ฿3,321

-80.23%

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

$11.63 $11.63

$11.28 ฿377

3.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.57 $26.57

$17.36 ฿580

53.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.27 $30.27

$52.3 ฿1,747

-42.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.85 ฿362

37.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 $7.46

$7.57 ฿253

-1.45%

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

$183 $183

$558 ฿18.7K

-67.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,017 $2,017

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-82.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$62.9 ฿2,102

-16.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.03 $47.03

$28.58 ฿955

64.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 $79.1

$96.1 ฿3,213

-17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 $71.2

$88.1 ฿2,943

-19.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 $237

$729 ฿24.4K

-67.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$170 $170

$460 ฿15.4K

-63.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 $389

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-81.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 $310

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-74.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$554 $554

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-84.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$323 $323

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-87.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 $496

$493 ฿16.5K

0.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

5.57

52.60%

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

Last update for Loja: 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

Loja

$170 25.2%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 170% $290

Groceries & Markets

Loja

$167 24.7%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 60% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Loja

$113 16.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 10.2% $12

Eating Out

Loja

$85 12.6%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 42.8% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Loja

$58 8.6%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 121% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Loja

$45 6.7%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 49.2% $22

Getting Around

Loja

$38 5.7%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 1.6% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Loja 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 1% higher in Loja, 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 $21.00 in Loja versus $32.00 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $167 vs $268 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Loja

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

10:24 10:24 AM

12 h ahead of Loja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,617

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Loja Phuket 19,510 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Loja
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

Loja vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $676 in Loja, $1,207 in Phuket – roughly 79% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,014 per month in Loja 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 Loja, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 37% less in Loja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $183 per month in Loja and $558 in Phuket. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Loja, where all-in costs run around $676, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Loja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $676 in Loja to $1,207 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Loja. 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.