Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ibague

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibague: $1,127 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $970 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Ibague
Learn more

Ibague Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Ibague

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ibague

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,127 in Ibague.

Phuket $1,208
Ibague $1,127

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,793 in Ibague.

Phuket $2,027
Ibague $1,793

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $2,458 in Ibague.

Phuket $2,845
Ibague $2,458

Living in Phuket is roughly 7% more expensive than in Ibague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Ibague 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$7.94 COP 25.2K

-44.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$41.52 COP 131.6K

-22.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$7.65 COP 24.3K

14.51%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.56 COP 4,941

81.41%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.08 COP 3,411

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.78 COP 2,470

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.45 COP 4,597

75.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.00 COP 12.7K

-4.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.12 COP 3,563

54.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$2.40 COP 7,598

-38.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.11 COP 3,524

36.04%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.16 COP 6,834

0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$8.23 COP 26.1K

139.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$6.94 COP 22.0K

-51.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$9.61 COP 30.5K

16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$3.59 COP 11.4K

-20.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$0.98 COP 3,112

73.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.47 COP 4,674

48.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.75 COP 5,536

17.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.79 COP 2,520

83.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.74 COP 2,341

86.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.82 COP 2,597

30.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$1.21 COP 3,840

-57.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$4.29 COP 13.6K

-0.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$12.37 COP 39.2K

50.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.42 COP 4,497

25.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.84 COP 9,014

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.02 COP 3,238

121.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$63.6 COP 201.5K

-65.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.35 COP 4,273

122.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.38 COP 1,221

178.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$2.27 COP 7,212

70.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.35 COP 4,277

7.41%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$20.5K COP 65.1M

28.31%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$34.6K COP 109.6M

-22.03%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$41.15 COP 130.5K

134.22%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$9.40 COP 29.8K

17.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$14.40 COP 45.7K

19.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$27.40 COP 86.9K

90.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$4.84 COP 15.4K

61.36%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$490 COP 1.6M

13.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$7,698 COP 24.4M

50.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$25.47 COP 80.7K

152.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$48.15 COP 152.7K

-40.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$78.0 COP 247.5K

22.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$105 COP 332.5K

-16.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$656 COP 2.1M

12.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$476 COP 1.5M

-2.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,011 COP 3.2M

107.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$914 COP 2.9M

31.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,853 COP 5.9M

88.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,649 COP 5.2M

52.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$643 COP 2.0M

-22.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.81

-56.52%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ibague: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Ibague

$476 42.3% 3% $14

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Ibague

$234 20.8% 12.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Ibague

$65 5.8% 47.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Ibague

$115 10.3% 7.1% $8.9

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Ibague

$128 11.4% 5.5% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Ibague

$37 3.3% 45.3% $31

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Ibague

$71 6.3% 79.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $656 in Ibague. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ibague pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $42.00 in Ibague. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $234, with Ibague cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇴 Ibague

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

10:40 10:40 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

530,000

💱 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Ibague 18,470 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ibague

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 Ibague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibague is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Ibague. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $656 in Ibague. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,208 per month in Phuket versus $1,127 in Ibague – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ibague runs roughly 188% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,127 in Ibague versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ibague but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ibague the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ibague 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 Ibague gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.