Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,292 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartagena outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
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Cartagena Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cartagena

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,292 in Cartagena, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Cartagena $1,292

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $2,165 in Cartagena, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Cartagena $2,165

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $3,039 in Cartagena, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Cartagena $3,039

Phuket is about 7% cheaper than Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Cartagena are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Cartagena 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$5.87 COP 18.6K

-21.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$143 COP 453.5K

-77.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$10.37 COP 32.9K

-17.55%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$4.26 COP 13.5K

-36.15%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$2.54 COP 8,063

-62.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$2.36 COP 7,478

-79.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$3.26 COP 10.3K

-20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.96 COP 15.7K

-22.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.91 COP 6,053

-8.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$2.74 COP 8,692

-47.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.45 COP 4,610

5.52%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$5.06 COP 16.0K

-57.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$13.13 COP 41.6K

45.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$17.37 COP 55.1K

-81.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.99 COP 6,304

-72.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$14.64 COP 46.4K

24.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.40 COP 4,436

24.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$1.25 COP 3,972

77.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$58.4 COP 185.2K

-62.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$4.74 COP 15.0K

-38.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$3.68 COP 11.7K

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$9.49 COP 30.1K

-59.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$1.34 COP 4,251

11.19%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$23.4K COP 74.1M

14.16%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$34.4K COP 109.2M

-22.44%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$78.4 COP 248.6K

26.72%

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

$11.28 ฿377

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$91.7 COP 290.8K

-42.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$8.02 COP 25.4K

-5.61%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$630 COP 2.0M

-11.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$5,818 COP 18.4M

97.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$1,035 COP 3.3M

-29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$585 COP 1.9M

-21.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$2,287 COP 7.3M

-8.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$944 COP 3.0M

29.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$924 COP 2.9M

169.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$467 COP 1.5M

5.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-62.87%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Cartagena

$585 45.3% 27.2% $125

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Cartagena

$259 * 20% 3.2% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Cartagena

$78 * 6.1% 38.7% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Cartagena

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Cartagena

$175 13.5% 44.2% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Cartagena

$108 8.3% 59.8% $40

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Cartagena

$87 6.7% 123% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $1,035 in Cartagena. 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 6% higher in Phuket, 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 $143 in Cartagena. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $259 in Cartagena – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

10:47 10:47 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,028,736

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Cartagena 17,870 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Cartagena

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 Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena costs about 7% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,938 in Cartagena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $630 in Cartagena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Cartagena – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Cartagena at $1,292. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cartagena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,207 versus $1,292 in Cartagena. 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 Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cartagena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.