Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Montanita

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $893 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Montanita

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $893 in Montanita.

Phuket $1,278
Montanita $893

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,344 in Montanita.

Phuket $2,216
Montanita $1,344

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,796 in Montanita.

Phuket $3,154
Montanita $1,796

Living in Phuket is roughly 43% more expensive than in Montanita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Montanita 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$3.44 $3.44

29.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$27.67 $27.67

17.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.30 $7.30

20.68%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$2.40 $2.40

17.92%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$0.85 $0.85

2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.63 $0.63

-22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.96 $1.96

30.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.59 $3.59

2.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.13 $1.13

46.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.71 $1.71

-14.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.50 $1.50

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.10 $2.10

-0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$5.40 $5.40

253.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.45 $5.45

-39.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$6.40 $6.40

70.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.10 $2.10

39.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.22 $1.22

38.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.09 $1.09

106.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.09 $1.09

90.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.43 $1.43

5.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.02 $1.02

35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.49 $0.49

118.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.02 $1.02

-49.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.10 $6.10

-31.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$9.82 $9.82

91.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.52 $1.52

19.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.55 $2.55

11.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.36 $0.36

302.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$23.56 $23.56

140.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.53 $1.53

97.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.02 $1.02

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$10.03 $10.03

-63.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.62 $0.62

137.10%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$24.9K $24.9K

7.65%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$28.3K $28.3K

-5.57%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$40.55 $40.55

137.61%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$13.96 $13.96

-19.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$30.87 $30.87

-45.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$29.86 $29.86

125.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$14.43 $14.43

-25.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.33 $7.33

2.32%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$256 $256

85.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$5,690 $5,690

97.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$55.5 $55.5

12.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$42.86 $42.86

-33.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$101 $101

-6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$74.8 $74.8

14.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$336 $336

113.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$321 $321

53.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$622 $622

210.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$503 $503

184.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,245 $1,245

235.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,013 $1,013

200.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

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 26, 2026

Last update for Montanita: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Montanita

$321 35.9% 34.7% $170

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Montanita

$186 20.8% 30.2% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Montanita

$85 9.6% 31.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Montanita

$123 13.8% 1.1% $1.3

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Montanita

$101 11.3% 16.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Montanita

$45 5% 45.9% $38

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Montanita

$32 3.6% 55.2% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $336 in Montanita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $28 in Montanita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $186 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Montanita

🕒 Local time

23:07 11:07 PM

11:07 11:07 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

5,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Montanita 19,330 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Montanita

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 Montanita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montanita is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,339 in Montanita to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $336 in Montanita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $256 in Montanita. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Montanita versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Montanita but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Montanita 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.

Expats usually find Montanita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.