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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $793 in Pasto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Pasto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,645 in Pasto.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than Pasto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Pasto 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.86 COP 13.8K

21.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$23.70 COP 84.6K

91.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.44 COP 26.6K

13.31%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.55 COP 5,520

89.03%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.86 COP 3,055

-19.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.57 COP 2,029

-35.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.19 COP 4,233

102.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.15 COP 7,683

73.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.10 COP 3,936

102.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.31 COP 4,661

39.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.14 COP 4,075

90.35%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.19 COP 7,810

0.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$4.40 COP 15.7K

348.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$5.34 COP 19.1K

-32.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.39 COP 26.4K

83.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.43 COP 8,685

34.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.05 COP 3,732

53.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.35 COP 4,805

78.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.11 COP 3,962

87.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.12 COP 4,015

36.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.18 COP 4,221

25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.87 COP 3,113

13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.68 COP 2,443

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.41 COP 8,589

82.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$9.39 COP 33.5K

106.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.09 COP 3,894

63.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.73 COP 6,180

56.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.68 COP 2,429

101.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$29.81 COP 106.5K

-61.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.48 COP 5,281

104.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.77 COP 6,325

-44.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.04 COP 21.6K

133.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.92 COP 3,303

47.83%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$18.0K COP 64.3M

56.66%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.3K COP 90.3M

30.05%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$84.1 COP 300.2K

44.76%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.99 COP 32.1K

50.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$22.92 COP 81.8K

-20.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$23.56 COP 84.1K

155.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.85 COP 13.7K

125.71%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$240 COP 856.6K

189.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,010 COP 21.5M

161.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$59.5 COP 212.4K

0.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$33.25 COP 118.7K

4.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$82.6 COP 295.0K

38.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$73.7 COP 263.2K

13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$268 COP 955.8K

129.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$242 COP 863.9K

80.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$534 COP 1.9M

292.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$415 COP 1.5M

263.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,453 COP 5.2M

157.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,053 COP 3.8M

148.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.06

-59.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Pasto: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $268 in Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 60% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $793 including rent). Pasto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $1,189 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: $613 in Phuket versus $268 in Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% 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 $24.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $793 in Pasto versus $1,265 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 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.