Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cartago

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $1,281 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $890 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cartago

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,281 in Cartago, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Cartago $1,281

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,972 in Cartago, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Cartago $1,972

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $2,663 in Cartago, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Cartago $2,663

Phuket is about 6% cheaper than Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Phuket and Cartago are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Cartago 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$7.58 COP 24.1K

-39.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,091

$37.20 COP 118.3K

-12.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$8.47 COP 26.9K

0.94%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$1.54 COP 4,884

76.62%

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

$0.94 ฿31.41

$1.28 COP 4,063

-26.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.48

$0.83 COP 2,634

-40.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿87.0

$3.10 COP 9,869

-16.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

$3.66 COP 11.7K

4.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.60 COP 5,088

8.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿48.07

$1.88 COP 5,973

-23.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$1.49 COP 4,751

2.68%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.1

$2.93 COP 9,334

-25.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿643

$6.58 COP 20.9K

191.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.11 COP 22.6K

-53.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$9.93 COP 31.6K

12.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿99.0

$3.57 COP 11.4K

-17.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.4

$1.32 COP 4,200

27.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.2

$1.74 COP 5,530

32.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.6

$1.63 COP 5,184

30.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.4

$1.42 COP 4,522

7.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.78

$1.50 COP 4,758

-9.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.63

$1.08 COP 3,443

3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.33

$1.03 COP 3,261

-46.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$3.69 COP 11.7K

15.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿611

$13.12 COP 41.7K

38.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.5

$1.50 COP 4,756

16.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.8

$2.45 COP 7,794

13.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.4

$1.02 COP 3,244

117.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿741

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.8

$0.79 COP 2,524

268.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.97

$2.27 COP 7,230

-55.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿129

$8.40 COP 26.7K

-54.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.1

$1.32 COP 4,211

12.88%

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

$26.7K ฿896.2K

$28.0K COP 89.1M

-4.81%

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

$26.7K ฿897.2K

$34.6K COP 110.2M

-22.90%

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

$99.4 ฿3,338

$110 COP 349.3K

-9.53%

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

$11.28 ฿379

$13.23 COP 42.1K

-14.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿583

$30.26 COP 96.2K

-42.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,756

$42.32 COP 134.6K

23.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿364

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$8.24 COP 26.2K

-8.13%

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

$558 ฿18.8K

$701 COP 2.2M

-20.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿385.9K

$6,430 COP 20.5M

78.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,112

$77.8 COP 247.3K

-19.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿960

$55.1 COP 175.4K

-48.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,229

$127 COP 403.0K

-24.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,958

$111 COP 351.7K

-20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.5K

$645 COP 2.1M

13.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.5K

$509 COP 1.6M

-9.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.4K

$1,041 COP 3.3M

101.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.1K

$970 COP 3.1M

26.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿116.2K

$1,999 COP 6.4M

73.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.6K

$1,803 COP 5.7M

38.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.58

-51.90%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Cartago

$509 39.7% 10.6% $49

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Cartago

$241 18.8% 9.9% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Cartago

$153 12% 19.8% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Cartago

$167 13% 34.3% $43

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Cartago

$136 10.6% 11.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Cartago

$59 4.6% 12.8% $8.6

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Cartago

$16 * 1.3% 58.2% $23

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 $645 in Cartago. 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 $32.00 in Phuket versus $37.00 in Cartago. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $241 in Cartago – so Cartago wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇴 Cartago

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

05:24 5:24 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

135,365

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.61 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Cartago 18,470 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cartago is pricier by about 6%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,921 in Cartago. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $1,281 in Cartago. That's a gap of about 6%.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $701 in Cartago. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,207, than in Cartago at $1,281. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cartago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phuket – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Cartago makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.