Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Portoviejo

For one person, living is cheaper in Portoviejo: $879 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Portoviejo
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Portoviejo Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Portoviejo

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$879

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Portoviejo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $879 in Portoviejo.

Phuket $1,294
Portoviejo $879

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,436 in Portoviejo.

Phuket $2,204
Portoviejo $1,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,992 in Portoviejo.

Phuket $3,115
Portoviejo $1,992

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than in Portoviejo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Portoviejo 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$4.06 $4.06

8.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$52.0 $52.0

-37.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$9.17 $9.17

-5.13%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$2.79 $2.79

-2.51%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.86 $0.86

8.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.70 $0.70

-28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$3.06 $3.06

-17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$4.31 $4.31

-15.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.20 $1.20

45.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$1.98 $1.98

-26.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.42 $1.42

5.63%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$2.04 $2.04

6.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$7.06 $7.06

170.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$5.14 $5.14

-33.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$8.93 $8.93

22.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$1.47 $1.47

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.15 $1.15

46.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$0.99 $0.99

121.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$0.97 $0.97

118.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$1.22 $1.22

19.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$0.97 $0.97

41.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$0.88 $0.88

22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$0.96 $0.96

-42.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$6.09 $6.09

-27.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$12.22 $12.22

49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$1.51 $1.51

17.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$2.19 $2.19

31.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$0.36 $0.36

302.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.77 $2.77

-45.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

$1.73 $1.73

-54.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

$12.22 $12.22

-68.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$0.88 $0.88

69.32%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$22.7K $22.7K

18.68%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$31.0K $31.0K

-14.92%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$34.52 $34.52

183.34%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$15.13 $15.13

-25.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$26.35 $26.35

-34.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$29.67 $29.67

130.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$16.47 $16.47

-33.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$7.44 $7.44

-0.13%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$369 $369

43.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$5,664 $5,664

231.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$64.5 $64.5

-4.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$41.20 $41.20

-31.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$125 $125

-23.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$92.1 $92.1

-5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$423 $423

70.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$277 $277

83.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$811 $811

140.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$502 $502

178.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$982 $982

326.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$787 $787

319.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

$327 $327

50.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.05

-44.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Portoviejo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Portoviejo

$277 31.5% 45.6% $232

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Portoviejo

$199 22.7% 25.3% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Portoviejo

$76 8.7% 39.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Portoviejo

$145 16.5% 18.5% $23

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Portoviejo

$124 14.1% 3.4% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Portoviejo

$45 5.1% 46.4% $39

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Portoviejo

$13 * 1.5% 80.6% $53

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $423 in Portoviejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 50% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $52 in Portoviejo. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $199, with Portoviejo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Portoviejo

🕒 Local time

05:56 5:56 AM

17:56 5:56 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

180,641

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Portoviejo 19,240 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Portoviejo

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 Portoviejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portoviejo is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 50% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $423 in Portoviejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $369 in Portoviejo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $52 in Portoviejo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Portoviejo is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Portoviejo wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.