Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cartago Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cartago

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,674 in Cartago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,346 in Cartago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,018 in Cartago.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 26% less than in Cartago, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Cartago is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$8.96 ₡3,983

-50.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$35.29 ₡15.7K

-8.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$10.07 ₡4,474

-11.32%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$4.52 ₡2,008

-35.84%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$2.23 ₡993

-60.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.44 ₡640

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.18 ₡970

7.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.24 ₡1,884

-12.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$2.45 ₡1,090

-23.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.38 ₡1,059

-38.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.53 ₡1,122

-38.74%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$3.52 ₡1,566

-40.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$8.83 ₡3,926

121.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.37 ₡4,611

-67.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$13.92 ₡6,185

-18.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$5.08 ₡2,257

-41.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.30 ₡576

29.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$4.54 ₡2,018

-51.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$3.08 ₡1,370

-29.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$2.28 ₡1,016

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$2.24 ₡995

-40.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.10 ₡489

2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$2.25 ₡1,002

-75.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.95 ₡2,643

-28.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$15.50 ₡6,888

23.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$2.80 ₡1,244

-36.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.97 ₡878

41.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.29 ₡574

72.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$76.5 ₡34.0K

-70.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.34 ₡597

126.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.58 ₡701

-35.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$9.01 ₡4,005

-56.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.50 ₡668

-0.67%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$21.9K ₡9.7M

21.57%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$34.9K ₡15.5M

-22.47%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$54.2 ₡24.1K

88.99%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$36.97 ₡16.4K

-69.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$62.3 ₡27.7K

-72.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$74.1 ₡32.9K

-29.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$77.4 ₡34.4K

-85.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.08 ₡3,146

8.62%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$559 ₡248.6K

0.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,916 ₡3.5M

45.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$73.0 ₡32.5K

-13.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$55.9 ₡24.8K

-47.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$124 ₡55.1K

-20.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$89.3 ₡39.7K

-0.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$874 ₡388.3K

-15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$718 ₡319.1K

-32.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,873 ₡832.7K

12.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$733 ₡325.8K

67.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,335 ₡593.3K

-63.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.78

-36.56%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Cartago: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $874 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 170% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $35.00 in Cartago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $351 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 170% lower in Cartago. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $874 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 237% less than in Cartago. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $559 in Cartago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,674 in Cartago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cartago. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cartago, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cartago 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 36% less than in Cartago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.