Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cotacachi

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotacachi: $717 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Cotacachi
Learn more

Cotacachi Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Cotacachi

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cotacachi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $717 in Cotacachi.

Phuket $1,278
Cotacachi $717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,170 in Cotacachi.

Phuket $2,216
Cotacachi $1,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,623 in Cotacachi.

Phuket $3,154
Cotacachi $1,623

Living in Phuket is roughly 78% more expensive than in Cotacachi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cotacachi 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.88 $3.88

15.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$25.87 $25.87

25.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.58 $4.58

92.36%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.21 $2.21

28.05%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.36 $1.36

-36.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.80 $0.80

-38.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.97 $1.97

29.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$4.01 $4.01

-8.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.10 $1.10

50.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.53 $1.53

-4.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.52 $1.52

-1.32%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.11 $2.11

-0.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$6.40 $6.40

197.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.27 $5.27

-37.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.46 $7.46

46.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.21 $2.21

32.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.14 $1.14

48.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.32 $1.32

70.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.10 $1.10

89.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.24 $1.24

21.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.06 $1.06

30.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.83 $0.83

28.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.03 $1.03

-49.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.46 $4.46

-5.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.35 $7.35

155.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.51 $1.51

20.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.05 $3.05

-6.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.45 $0.45

222.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$15.03 $15.03

276.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.24 $1.24

143.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$0.97 $0.97

5.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$9.89 $9.89

-62.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.77 $0.77

90.91%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$22.7K $22.7K

18.05%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$29.9K $29.9K

-10.68%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$29.09 $29.09

231.21%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$12.57 $12.57

-10.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$26.27 $26.27

-35.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$30.56 $30.56

119.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$10.16 $10.16

5.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.52 $6.52

15.03%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$76.0 $76.0

526.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$2,952 $2,952

281.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$41.41 $41.41

50.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$42.47 $42.47

-33.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$95.1 $95.1

-0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$59.2 $59.2

44.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$264 $264

170.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$190 $190

158.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$473 $473

307.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$414 $414

245.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$598 $598

598.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$517 $517

489.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$433 $433

15.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.12

-44.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cotacachi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Cotacachi

$190 26.5% 61.3% $301

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Cotacachi

$187 26.1% 29.6% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Cotacachi

$68 9.5% 45.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Cotacachi

$107 15% 12.1% $15

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Cotacachi

$98 13.6% 19.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Cotacachi

$44 6.1% 47% $39

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Cotacachi

$23 3.2% 67.6% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $264 in Cotacachi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 16% 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 in Phuket vs $26 in Cotacachi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $187 per month, with Cotacachi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Cotacachi

🕒 Local time

11:45 11:45 AM

23:45 11:45 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

8,238

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Cotacachi 19,030 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Cotacachi

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 Cotacachi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $717 in Cotacachi, so Cotacachi is about 44% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $264 in Cotacachi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cotacachi runs roughly 73% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $76 in Cotacachi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $717 in Cotacachi versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Cotacachi but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cotacachi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cotacachi are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Cotacachi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.