Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cartagena Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cartagena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,402 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,010 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $2,619 in Cartagena.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 10% less than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 5% below, Cartagena is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$14.13 €12.23

-68.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$58.6 €50.7

-22.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$8.08 €7.00

8.42%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.55 €2.21

16.47%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$2.39 €2.07

-71.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$2.05 €1.78

-80.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$3.57 €3.09

-29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$3.43 €2.97

9.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.13 €0.98

90.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.00 €0.87

82.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.66 €1.44

31.33%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.79 €2.41

-19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$11.23 €9.72

78.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$8.32 €7.20

-56.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$14.14 €12.25

-4.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.37 €2.05

36.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.86 €1.61

-11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.38 €1.20

68.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.75 €1.52

18.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.30 €1.13

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.10 €0.96

32.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$1.10 €0.95

-10.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.52 €0.45

-7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$5.70 €4.93

-23.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$6.17 €5.34

200.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.11 €0.96

67.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.29 €1.12

105.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$1.36 €1.18

4.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$11.62 €10.07

-0.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$3.56 €3.09

-10.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.20 €1.04

-14.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$24.63 €21.33

-43.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.79 €1.55

-25.14%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$31.2K €27.0K

-10.81%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$31.7K €27.4K

5.38%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$144 €124

-14.26%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$13.48 €11.68

2.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$30.43 €26.35

-39.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$38.68 €33.50

56.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$14.93 €12.93

14.94%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$8.15 €7.06

8.83%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$426 €369

61.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$2,829 €2,450

457.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$45.46 €39.37

30.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$31.91 €27.63

8.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$45.71 €39.58

152.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$76.1 €65.9

10.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$758 €657

-18.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$626 €542

-28.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$914 €791

122.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$759 €658

97.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,792 €1,552

92.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,467 €1,271

72.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,752 €1,517

-71.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.44

54.94%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $758 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 255% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $59.0 in Cartagena. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $231, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Cartagena. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 255% lower in Cartagena. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $758 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $59.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,264 per month in Phuket versus $1,402 in Cartagena – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,402 in Cartagena, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,264 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cartagena are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.