Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montanita and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $893 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$893

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $893 in Montanita versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Montanita $893
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,344 in Montanita versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Montanita $1,344
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,796 in Montanita versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Montanita $1,796
Phuket $3,154

Living in Montanita costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Montanita 34% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 $3.44

$4.47 ฿151

-23.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.67 $27.67

$32.41 ฿1,094

-14.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 $7.30

$8.81 ฿297

-17.14%

Cappuccino

$2.40 $2.40

$2.83 ฿95.5

-15.19%

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

$0.85 $0.85

$0.87 ฿29.43

-2.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.49 ฿16.67

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.56 ฿86.4

-23.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.68 ฿124

-2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.66 ฿56.0

-31.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.46 ฿49.35

17.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.50 ฿50.6

Eggs

$2.10 $2.10

$2.09 ฿70.5

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$19.07 ฿644

-71.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.30 ฿111

65.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$10.91 ฿368

-41.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.93 ฿99.0

-28.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.69 ฿57.1

-27.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.25 ฿75.8

-51.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.08 ฿70.1

-47.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.51 ฿51.0

-5.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.38 ฿46.56

-26.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.07 ฿35.99

-54.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.52 ฿17.52

96.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.20 ฿142

45.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.82 $9.82

$18.79 ฿634

-47.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.82 ฿61.5

-16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.84 ฿95.9

-10.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$1.45 ฿49.03

-75.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.56 $23.56

$56.7 ฿1,913

-58.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.02 ฿102

-49.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.02 ฿34.36

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 $10.03

$3.69 ฿125

171.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.62 $0.62

$1.47 ฿49.81

-57.82%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$26.8K ฿904.3K

-7.11%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$26.7K ฿901.3K

5.89%

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

$40.55 $40.55

$96.4 ฿3,254

-57.91%

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

$13.96 $13.96

$11.26 ฿380

23.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.87 $30.87

$16.85 ฿569

83.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.86 $29.86

$67.2 ฿2,270

-55.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.43 $14.43

$10.73 ฿362

34.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 $7.33

$7.50 ฿253

-2.27%

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

$256 $256

$476 ฿16.1K

-46.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,690 $5,690

$11.3K ฿380.4K

-49.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 $55.5

$62.4 ฿2,106

-11.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.86 $42.86

$28.41 ฿959

50.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$94.3 ฿3,184

6.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.8 $74.8

$85.8 ฿2,898

-12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 $336

$716 ฿24.2K

-53.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 $321

$491 ฿16.6K

-34.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$622 $622

$1,927 ฿65.1K

-67.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 $503

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-64.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,245 $1,245

$4,175 ฿141.0K

-70.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,013 $1,013

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-66.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Montanita: October 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montanita

$321 35.9%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 53% $170

Groceries & Markets

Montanita

$186 20.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 43.2% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Montanita

$123 13.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 1.1% $1.3

Eating Out

Montanita

$101 11.3%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 20.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montanita

$85 9.6%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 45.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Montanita

$45 5%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 84.7% $38

Getting Around

Montanita

$32 3.6%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 123% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $336 in Montanita and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28 in Montanita vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $266 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Montanita

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

22:11 10:11 PM

12 h ahead of Montanita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

79,308

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

THB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montanita Phuket 19,330 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Montanita
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

Montanita vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montanita is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,339 in Montanita 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $336 in Montanita versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $256 in Montanita versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Montanita versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Montanita but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Montanita 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.

Expats usually find Montanita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.