Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Loja

For one person, living is cheaper in Loja: $681 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Loja
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Loja Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Loja

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$681

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Loja

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

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $681 in Loja, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Loja $681

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,074 in Loja, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Loja $1,074

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $1,468 in Loja, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Loja $1,468

Phuket costs about 88% more than Loja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Loja are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Loja 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.05 $3.05

46.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$20.66 $20.66

56.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$5.61 $5.61

57.04%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$2.22 $2.22

27.48%

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.78 $0.78

11.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$0.43 $0.43

13.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.22 $1.22

109.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.23 $3.23

13.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.02 $1.02

62.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$1.48 $1.48

-1.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.32 $1.32

13.64%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.92 $1.92

8.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$5.60 $5.60

240.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.29 $4.29

-23.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.07 $6.07

79.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$1.69 $1.69

73.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.09 $1.09

55.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.20 $1.20

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.12 $1.12

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.06 $1.06

42.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.03 $1.03

33.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$0.52 $0.52

105.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.11 $1.11

-53.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$5.23 $5.23

-19.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$6.82 $6.82

175.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.53 $1.53

18.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.93 $2.93

-3.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.33 $0.33

339.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$30.52 $30.52

85.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.24 $1.24

143.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$1.08 $1.08

-5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$9.86 $9.86

-62.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$0.74 $0.74

98.65%

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$15.0K $15.0K

77.97%

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$28.5K $28.5K

-6.40%

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

$19.98 $19.98

382.23%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$11.49 $11.49

-2.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$27.07 $27.07

-37.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$29.70 $29.70

126.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$15.03 $15.03

-28.61%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.26 $7.26

3.31%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$180 $180

164.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$1,965 $1,965

473.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$52.8 $52.8

18.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$47.86 $47.86

-40.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$79.9 $79.9

17.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$73.1 $73.1

17.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$240 $240

198.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$172 $172

185.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$377 $377

410.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$315 $315

354.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$559 $559

646.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$324 $324

840.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$506 $506

-0.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

8.5

-34.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Loja: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Loja

$172 25.3% 64.9% $319

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Loja

$168 24.6% 37% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Loja

$59 8.6% 53% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Loja

$114 16.8% 6.3% $7.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Loja

$85 12.5% 29.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Loja

$44 6.5% 46.2% $38

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Loja

$38 5.7% 45.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $240 in Loja. 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 in Phuket versus $21 in Loja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $168 – making Loja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Loja

🕒 Local time

15:31 3:31 PM

03:31 3:31 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

180,617

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 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 = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 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 Loja 19,510 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Loja

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 Loja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $681 in Loja – Loja comes out roughly 47% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,021 in Loja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Loja, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $240 there versus $716 in Phuket.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Loja. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $180 in Loja. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Loja, where all-in costs run around $681, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Loja it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Loja – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Loja is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 47% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.