Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pasto Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pasto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $790 in Pasto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,218 in Pasto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,646 in Pasto.

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than in Pasto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Pasto 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.89 COP 12.3K

13.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$23.22 COP 73.7K

38.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.46 COP 23.7K

19.71%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.49 COP 4,724

94.63%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.92 COP 2,912

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.57 COP 1,823

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.15 COP 3,661

104.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.12 COP 6,721

75.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.11 COP 3,531

68.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.26 COP 3,991

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.19 COP 3,772

30.25%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.23 COP 7,092

-5.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$4.60 COP 14.6K

325.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.31 COP 16.8K

-35.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.28 COP 23.1K

56.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.52 COP 7,989

18.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.04 COP 3,287

61.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.36 COP 4,318

62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.06 COP 3,353

103.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.11 COP 3,514

36.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.13 COP 3,602

18.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.86 COP 2,726

31.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.68 COP 2,167

-19.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.45 COP 7,780

73.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$9.45 COP 30.0K

102.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.13 COP 3,583

57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.72 COP 5,446

61.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.68 COP 2,169

227.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$30.32 COP 96.2K

-25.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.47 COP 4,652

106.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$1.73 COP 5,490

-41.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.19 COP 19.6K

-37.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$0.94 COP 3,000

58.51%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$17.8K COP 56.6M

49.16%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$25.0K COP 79.4M

8.04%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$81.7 COP 259.5K

25.38%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$8.87 COP 28.2K

27.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$22.64 COP 71.9K

-23.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$23.10 COP 73.3K

125.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$3.99 COP 12.7K

92.73%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$239 COP 757.2K

135.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$5,866 COP 18.6M

96.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$59.5 COP 188.8K

6.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$33.27 COP 105.6K

-11.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$83.9 COP 266.4K

16.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$72.2 COP 229.3K

22.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$271 COP 859.7K

172.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$243 COP 770.4K

98.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$533 COP 1.7M

295.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$414 COP 1.3M

196.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,425 COP 4.5M

153.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,070 COP 3.4M

143.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.06

-57.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Pasto: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $271 in Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $174 per month, with Pasto cheaper across the board.

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 Pasto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Pasto differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $790 including rent). Pasto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,185 in Pasto 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: $738 in Phuket versus $271 in Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pasto – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $790 in Pasto versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pasto but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Pasto 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Pasto 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 Pasto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.