Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guayaquil

For one person, living is cheaper in Guayaquil: $1,136 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,136

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Guayaquil

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $1,136 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Guayaquil $1,136

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,775 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Guayaquil $1,775

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $2,413 in Guayaquil, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Guayaquil $2,413

Phuket costs about 6% more than Guayaquil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Guayaquil are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Guayaquil 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$3.94 $3.94

16.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$52.6 $52.6

-38.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$9.15 $9.15

-6.56%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$2.82 $2.82

-3.55%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$0.91 $0.91

3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$0.74 $0.74

-33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$3.05 $3.05

-15.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.15 $4.15

-7.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.16 $1.16

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.98 $1.98

-27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.47 $1.47

4.08%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.07 $2.07

4.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$7.02 $7.02

172.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$5.18 $5.18

-36.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$9.26 $9.26

20.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$1.48 $1.48

99.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.14 $1.14

47.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$0.98 $0.98

134.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$0.94 $0.94

126.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.22 $1.22

25.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$0.98 $0.98

38.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$0.88 $0.88

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.94 $0.94

-41.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.91 $5.91

-27.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$12.19 $12.19

49.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.55 $1.55

12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$2.19 $2.19

27.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$0.36 $0.36

516.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$19.61 $19.61

12.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.77 $2.77

5.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$1.80 $1.80

-43.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$12.16 $12.16

-68.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$0.88 $0.88

69.32%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$21.1K $21.1K

26.25%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$31.3K $31.3K

-14.69%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$131 $131

-24.03%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$14.76 $14.76

-23.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$26.25 $26.25

-33.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$46.30 $46.30

12.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

$26.54 $26.54

-59.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$7.29 $7.29

3.84%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$378 $378

47.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$5,590 $5,590

105.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$66.2 $66.2

-4.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$41.10 $41.10

-30.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$124 $124

-22.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$93.8 $93.8

-6.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$476 $476

53.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$401 $401

14.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$800 $800

162.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$740 $740

65.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$2,275 $2,275

52.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,451 $1,451

71.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$612 $612

-19.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.05

-44.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Guayaquil: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Guayaquil

$401 35.3% 12.8% $59

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Guayaquil

$200 17.6% 25.2% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Guayaquil

$172 15.1% 34.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Guayaquil

$146 12.9% 17.8% $22

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Guayaquil

$123 10.8% 1.4% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Guayaquil

$61 5.4% 9.7% $6.5

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Guayaquil

$33 2.9% 15.6% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $476 in Guayaquil. 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 24% higher in Guayaquil, 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 $53.0 in Guayaquil. Groceries tell a different story – $268 in Phuket vs $200 in Guayaquil – so Guayaquil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

18:34 6:34 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

3,500,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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 = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Guayaquil 19,370 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Guayaquil

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 Guayaquil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,704 in Guayaquil. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guayaquil, 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 $378 in Guayaquil. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guayaquil, where all-in costs run around $1,136, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Guayaquil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guayaquil – 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 Guayaquil. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.