Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto Ayora Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Puerto Ayora

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $750 in Puerto Ayora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,226 in Puerto Ayora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,703 in Puerto Ayora.

Living in Phuket is roughly 69% more expensive than in Puerto Ayora, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Puerto Ayora 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$3.53 $3.53

32.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$29.67 $29.67

8.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.59 $6.59

31.71%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.65 $2.65

9.43%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$0.77 $0.77

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.65 $0.65

-24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.03 $2.03

22.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.95 $2.95

26.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.01 $1.01

87.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.54 $1.54

-8.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.57 $1.57

3.18%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.03 $2.03

10.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$5.48 $5.48

262.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$5.00 $5.00

-30.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$7.21 $7.21

57.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.68 $1.68

72.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.08 $1.08

59.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.20 $1.20

89.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.11 $1.11

91.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.26 $1.26

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.05 $1.05

35.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.65 $0.65

69.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$1.06 $1.06

-43.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$5.22 $5.22

-17.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$8.91 $8.91

108.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.52 $1.52

18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$3.05 $3.05

-2.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.34 $0.34

561.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$20.14 $20.14

16.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.26 $1.26

146.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.12 $1.12

-3.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$10.12 $10.12

-61.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$0.87 $0.87

64.37%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$21.2K $21.2K

30.82%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$28.7K $28.7K

-5.98%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$36.11 $36.11

190.22%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$12.17 $12.17

-6.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$26.26 $26.26

-33.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$29.61 $29.61

83.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$16.61 $16.61

-31.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$6.69 $6.69

16.29%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$219 $219

163.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$6,123 $6,123

89.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$54.6 $54.6

16.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$41.77 $41.77

-30.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$98.6 $98.6

-2.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$73.6 $73.6

22.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$302 $302

143.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$185 $185

170.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$672 $672

216.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$408 $408

206.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,176 $1,176

200.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$767 $767

241.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$812 $812

-37.50%

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: September 6, 2026

Last update for Puerto Ayora: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $302 in Puerto Ayora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Ayora pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Puerto Ayora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $181 per month, with Puerto Ayora 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 Puerto Ayora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Ayora is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Puerto Ayora. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $733 in Phuket versus $302 in Puerto Ayora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $219 in Puerto Ayora. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $750 in Puerto Ayora versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Ayora but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Ayora the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Ayora is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Puerto Ayora 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 Puerto Ayora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.