Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Latacunga

For one person, living is cheaper in Latacunga: $782 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Latacunga
Learn more

Latacunga Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Latacunga

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Latacunga

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $782 in Latacunga, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Latacunga $782

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,269 in Latacunga, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Latacunga $1,269

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,756 in Latacunga, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Latacunga $1,756

Phuket costs about 54% more than Latacunga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Latacunga are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Latacunga 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$2.55 $2.55

79.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,089

$28.41 $28.41

14.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$9.03 $9.03

-5.32%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.2

$2.79 $2.79

-2.51%

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

$0.94 ฿31.33

$0.87 $0.87

8.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.44

$0.48 $0.48

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.8

$3.05 $3.05

-15.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$4.28 $4.28

-10.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.18 $1.18

47.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.95

$2.01 $2.01

-28.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$0.98 $0.98

56.12%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.9

$1.75 $1.75

24.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿642

$4.87 $4.87

293.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.09 $5.09

-35.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$9.37 $9.37

18.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.8

$1.49 $1.49

97.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.18 $1.18

42.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.0

$1.03 $1.03

123.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.5

$0.96 $0.96

121.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$1.03 $1.03

48.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.67

$0.91 $0.91

49.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.54

$0.52 $0.52

115.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.29

$1.02 $1.02

-46.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$5.90 $5.90

-27.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿610

$10.09 $10.09

80.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.46 $1.46

19.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.6

$2.22 $2.22

25.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.3

$0.37 $0.37

500.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿739

$16.94 $16.94

30.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.6

$1.32 $1.32

120.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.89

$1.78 $1.78

-43.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$12.05 $12.05

-68.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.98

$0.66 $0.66

125.76%

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

$26.7K ฿894.0K

$20.7K $20.7K

28.85%

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

$26.7K ฿895.1K

$31.3K $31.3K

-14.54%

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

$99.4 ฿3,330

$39.72 $39.72

150.18%

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

$11.28 ฿378

$14.95 $14.95

-24.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿582

$26.59 $26.59

-34.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,752

$27.47 $27.47

90.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿363

$17.83 $17.83

-39.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$7.57 $7.57

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$378 $378

47.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.9K

$5,776 $5,776

98.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,107

$64.5 $64.5

-2.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿958

$40.29 $40.29

-29.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,222

$126 $126

-23.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,951

$91.6 $91.6

-3.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$295 $295

147.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$188 $188

144.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.2K

$723 $723

189.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.0K

$407 $407

200.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.9K

$1,068 $1,068

223.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.4K

$739 $739

236.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Latacunga: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Latacunga

$188 24.1% 59.1% $272

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Latacunga

$186 23.7% 30.7% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Latacunga

$81 10.4% 36.5% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Latacunga

$145 18.6% 17.1% $21

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Latacunga

$110 14.1% 9.1% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Latacunga

$43 5.5% 36.8% $25

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Latacunga

$29 3.7% 26.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $295 in Latacunga. 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 $28.00 in Latacunga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $186 – making Latacunga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Latacunga

🕒 Local time

01:35 1:35 AM

13:35 1:35 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

57,127

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 33.51 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.53 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Latacunga 19,170 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Latacunga

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 Latacunga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Phuket, $782 in Latacunga – roughly 54% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,173 in Latacunga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 44% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Latacunga, where all-in costs run around $782, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Latacunga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $782 in Latacunga to $1,207 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Latacunga. 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.