Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Pasto

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasto: $800 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Pasto
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Pasto Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Pasto

🇨🇴 Colombia

$800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Pasto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $800 in Pasto.

Phuket $1,294
Pasto $800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,216 in Pasto.

Phuket $2,204
Pasto $1,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,632 in Pasto.

Phuket $3,115
Pasto $1,632

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than in Pasto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Pasto 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$3.92 COP 12.7K

11.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$23.47 COP 76.1K

37.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$7.35 COP 23.8K

18.37%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$1.51 COP 4,909

80.13%

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

$0.93 ฿31.38

$0.89 COP 2,876

4.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.61 COP 1,984

-18.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$1.16 COP 3,748

118.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$2.17 COP 7,025

67.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.05 COP 3,402

65.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.93

$1.30 COP 4,204

11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.19 COP 3,871

26.05%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$2.15 COP 6,959

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$4.59 COP 14.9K

315.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$5.44 COP 17.6K

-37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$7.44 COP 24.1K

46.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$2.47 COP 8,025

19.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.09 COP 3,521

55.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$1.31 COP 4,235

67.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.6

$1.11 COP 3,603

90.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.19

$1.17 COP 3,801

24.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.14

$1.16 COP 3,767

18.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.29

$0.88 COP 2,858

22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.40

$0.70 COP 2,261

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.34 COP 7,577

89.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$9.77 COP 31.7K

86.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$1.08 COP 3,519

63.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$1.70 COP 5,511

69.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.82

$0.72 COP 2,330

101.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,851

$29.47 COP 95.6K

86.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.43 COP 4,650

5.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.17

$1.71 COP 5,549

-54.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$6.01 COP 19.5K

-36.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.01 COP 3,275

47.52%

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

$26.9K ฿906.7K

$18.2K COP 58.9M

47.94%

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

$26.3K ฿888.6K

$25.8K COP 83.5M

2.30%

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

$97.8 ฿3,299

$82.5 COP 267.4K

18.62%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$8.84 COP 28.7K

27.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$22.93 COP 74.4K

-25.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$23.51 COP 76.3K

190.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$3.92 COP 12.7K

89.54%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$239 COP 776.7K

121.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.5K

$5,979 COP 19.4M

214.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,080

$60.1 COP 194.8K

2.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$32.73 COP 106.2K

-13.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,238

$81.9 COP 265.5K

17.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,928

$71.4 COP 231.6K

21.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$272 COP 880.9K

165.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$238 COP 772.9K

113.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$535 COP 1.7M

264.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$424 COP 1.4M

229.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$1,447 COP 4.7M

189.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$1,087 COP 3.5M

203.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pasto: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Pasto

$238 29.8% 53.2% $271

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Pasto

$176 22% 34.1% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Pasto

$114 14.3% 9.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Pasto

$111 13.8% 9.8% $12

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Pasto

$88 11% 26.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Pasto

$31 3.9% 62.3% $52

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Pasto

$42 5.3% 35.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $272 in Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $23 in Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $176 per month, with Pasto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇨🇴 Pasto

🕒 Local time

14:09 2:09 PM

02:09 2:09 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

392,930

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Pasto 18,900 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Pasto

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 Pasto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $800 in Pasto, so Pasto is about 38% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $1,201 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: $721 in Phuket versus $272 in Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% 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 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $800 in Pasto versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 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 both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Pasto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.