Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bahia de Caraquez

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez: $873 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Bahia de Caraquez
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Bahia de Caraquez Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Bahia de Caraquez

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$873

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Bahia de Caraquez

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 Bahia de Caraquez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $873 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Phuket $1,294
Bahia de Caraquez $873

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $1,437 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Phuket $2,204
Bahia de Caraquez $1,437

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $2,002 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Phuket $3,115
Bahia de Caraquez $2,002

Phuket costs about 48% more than Bahia de Caraquez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Bahia de Caraquez are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Bahia de Caraquez 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$3.97 $3.97

10.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$53.2 $53.2

-39.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$8.82 $8.82

-1.36%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$2.79 $2.79

-2.51%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.92 $0.92

1.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.68 $0.68

-26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$2.98 $2.98

-15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$4.20 $4.20

-13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.21 $1.21

43.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$2.01 $2.01

-27.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.41 $1.41

6.38%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$2.08 $2.08

4.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$6.89 $6.89

177.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$5.21 $5.21

-34.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$8.99 $8.99

21.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$1.52 $1.52

93.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.16 $1.16

45.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$1.02 $1.02

114.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$0.95 $0.95

123.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$1.27 $1.27

14.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$0.92 $0.92

48.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$0.83 $0.83

30.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$0.93 $0.93

-40.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$5.83 $5.83

-24.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$11.84 $11.84

54.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$1.54 $1.54

14.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$2.19 $2.19

31.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$0.34 $0.34

326.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.71 $2.71

-44.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

$1.72 $1.72

-54.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

$11.85 $11.85

-67.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$0.84 $0.84

77.38%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$22.5K $22.5K

19.24%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$31.1K $31.1K

-15.23%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$33.68 $33.68

190.41%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$15.13 $15.13

-25.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$26.40 $26.40

-34.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$29.48 $29.48

131.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$16.45 $16.45

-33.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$7.64 $7.64

-2.75%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$375 $375

41.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$5,635 $5,635

233.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$66.0 $66.0

-6.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$41.24 $41.24

-31.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$125 $125

-23.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$92.4 $92.4

-6.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$414 $414

74.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$274 $274

86.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$834 $834

133.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$509 $509

174.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.05

-44.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bahia de Caraquez: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Bahia de Caraquez

$274 31.3% 46.3% $235

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Bahia de Caraquez

$199 22.8% 25.4% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Bahia de Caraquez

$75 8.6% 40.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Bahia de Caraquez

$146 16.8% 19.2% $24

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Bahia de Caraquez

$121 13.9% 1.6% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Bahia de Caraquez

$45 5.1% 46.2% $38

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Bahia de Caraquez

$13 * 1.5% 80.8% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $414 in Bahia de Caraquez. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $53 in Bahia de Caraquez. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Phuket vs $199 in Bahia de Caraquez – so Bahia de Caraquez wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Bahia de Caraquez

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

17:29 5:29 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

24,963

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Bahia de Caraquez 19,190 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Bahia de Caraquez

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 Bahia de Caraquez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,294 in Phuket, $873 in Bahia de Caraquez – Bahia de Caraquez comes out roughly 33% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $1,309 in Bahia de Caraquez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $414 there versus $721 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $53 in Bahia de Caraquez. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bahia de Caraquez, where all-in costs run around $873, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Bahia de Caraquez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bahia de Caraquez costs $873 versus $1,294 in Phuket. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.