Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Barranquilla

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,546 in Barranquilla, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Barranquilla, Colombia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Barranquilla
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,546
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Barranquilla

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 Barranquilla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,546 in Barranquilla, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Barranquilla $1,546

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,298 in Barranquilla, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Barranquilla $2,298

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $3,050 in Barranquilla, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Barranquilla $3,050

Phuket is about 17% cheaper than Barranquilla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Phuket sits 6% below the global median, while Barranquilla is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Barranquilla
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$8.99 COP 29.0K
-50.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$63.7 COP 205.7K
-49.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$13.68 COP 44.2K
-35.60%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$2.85 COP 9,209
-0.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.42
$1.38 COP 4,441
-36.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.66
$1.25 COP 4,024
-60.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$3.06 COP 9,864
-16.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$7.74 COP 25.0K
-52.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Barranquilla
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$0.85 COP 2,734
95.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.32
$1.29 COP 4,159
13.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.55 COP 5,020
-3.23%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.20 COP 7,105
-5.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$5.22 COP 16.9K
265.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$17.73 COP 57.3K
-81.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$7.05 COP 22.8K
54.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$2.15 COP 6,955
36.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$0.98 COP 3,160
72.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$0.64 COP 2,078
251.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$1.87 COP 6,038
11.23%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.30 COP 4,182
16.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.54
$0.92 COP 2,985
50.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.97
$1.23 COP 3,960
-13.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.89 COP 2,886
-41.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$5.13 COP 16.6K
-18.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$12.81 COP 41.4K
46.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.60 COP 5,178
13.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$4.59 COP 14.8K
-38.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Barranquilla
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.00
$1.19 COP 3,833
21.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$69.1 COP 223.2K
-18.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.42 COP 11.1K
-11.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.34
$3.17 COP 10.2K
-67.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$15.85 COP 51.2K
-76.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.78
$1.29 COP 4,159
13.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.7K
$34.9K COP 112.8M
-23.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.8K
$34.3K COP 110.8M
-22.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Barranquilla
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,252
$151 COP 486.8K
-36.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$14.87 COP 48.0K
-24.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$32.39 COP 104.6K
-47.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Barranquilla
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,269
$37.92 COP 122.4K
77.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$5.49 COP 17.7K
36.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Barranquilla
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$311 COP 1.0M
52.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.1K
$4,796 COP 15.5M
134.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Barranquilla
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,105
$114 COP 369.2K
-45.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$47.37 COP 153.0K
-40.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,182
$186 COP 601.3K
-49.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,896
$249 COP 803.9K
-65.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Barranquilla
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$827 COP 2.7M
-13.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$495 COP 1.6M
-0.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,996 COP 6.4M
-3.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$691 COP 2.2M
107.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$2,113 COP 6.8M
97.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$1,005 COP 3.2M
202.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Barranquilla
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$525 COP 1.7M
-4.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10
-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Barranquilla: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Barranquilla
$495 0.7% $3.7
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Barranquilla
$255 4.4% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Barranquilla
$198 59.1% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Barranquilla
$269 120% $147
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Barranquilla
$188 54.8% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Barranquilla
$49 40.5% $33
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Barranquilla
$93 32% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $827 in Barranquilla. 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 4% higher in Barranquilla, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $64 in Barranquilla. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $255 in Barranquilla – so Barranquilla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇨🇴 Barranquilla
🕒 Local time
11:51 11:51 AM
23:51 11:51 PM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
1,327,209
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Barranquilla 17,780 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Barranquilla

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 Barranquilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Barranquilla?
Barranquilla costs about 21% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Barranquilla?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $2,319 in Barranquilla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Barranquilla?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $716 there versus $827 in Barranquilla.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Barranquilla?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $64 in Barranquilla. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Barranquilla?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,546 in Barranquilla. That makes Phuket about 17% cheaper.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Phuket or in Barranquilla?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,278, than in Barranquilla at $1,546. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barranquilla it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Barranquilla?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,278 in Phuket to $1,546 in Barranquilla. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Phuket or to Barranquilla?
If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barranquilla makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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