Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ambato

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
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Ambato Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ambato

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Ambato actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $605 in Ambato, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Ambato $605

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $985 in Ambato, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Ambato $985

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,364 in Ambato, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Ambato $1,364

Phuket costs about 100% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Ambato are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Ambato 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.46 $3.46

32.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$29.93 $29.93

8.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$5.32 $5.32

60.71%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.76 $2.76

-1.45%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.82 $0.82

14.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.75 $0.75

-34.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.96 $1.96

32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.22 $3.22

18.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.98 $0.98

77.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$0.98 $0.98

45.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.57 $1.57

-2.55%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.73 $1.73

25.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$5.42 $5.42

253.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$3.05 $3.05

8.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$3.93 $3.93

183.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.27 $1.27

132.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$0.88 $0.88

90.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.03 $1.03

123.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$1.03 $1.03

106.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$0.77 $0.77

98.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.99 $0.99

37.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.73 $0.73

53.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.03 $1.03

-46.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.15 $5.15

-17.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$8.78 $8.78

107.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.45 $1.45

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.81 $2.81

-0.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.29 $0.29

665.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$14.21 $14.21

55.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$1.39 $1.39

109.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.12 $1.12

-9.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$9.43 $9.43

-59.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.86 $0.86

73.26%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$23.3K $23.3K

14.34%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$28.1K $28.1K

-5.10%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$39.20 $39.20

153.49%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$13.58 $13.58

-16.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$26.39 $26.39

-34.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$29.76 $29.76

75.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$4.39 $4.39

72.44%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$224 $224

149.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$2,408 $2,408

377.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$48.25 $48.25

30.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$35.22 $35.22

-18.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$71.2 $71.2

35.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$55.5 $55.5

58.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$178 $178

309.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$124 $124

270.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$380 $380

451.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$273 $273

347.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,130 $1,130

206.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$884 $884

181.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$679 $679

-27.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-38.11%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ambato: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Ambato

$124 20.5% 73% $336

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Ambato

$147 24.3% 45.1% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Ambato

$79 13.1% 38.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ambato

$95 15.6% 23.8% $29

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Ambato

$99 16.4% 18.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Ambato

$39 6.4% 42.8% $29

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Ambato

$22 3.7% 42.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $178 in Ambato. 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 38% higher in Ambato, 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $30.00 in Ambato. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $147 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Ambato

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

00:30 12:30 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

165,185

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ambato 19,210 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ambato

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

Phuket vs Ambato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 100% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $908 in Ambato. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $30.00 in Ambato. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $605 in Ambato. That's a gap of about 100%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ambato. 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.