Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quevedo

For one person, living is cheaper in Quevedo: $864 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Quevedo, Ecuador
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Quevedo
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$864
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Quevedo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $864 in Quevedo.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Quevedo $864

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,459 in Quevedo.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Quevedo $1,459

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,054 in Quevedo.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Quevedo $2,054

Living in Phuket is roughly 48% more expensive than in Quevedo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Quevedo 37% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Quevedo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$5.49 $5.49
-18.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$54.0 $54.0
-40.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$7.54 $7.54
16.84%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$3.34 $3.34
-15.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.37
$1.42 $1.42
-38.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.64
$1.06 $1.06
-53.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$3.53 $3.53
-27.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$5.94 $5.94
-38.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Quevedo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.10 $1.10
50.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.25
$1.58 $1.58
-7.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$1.53 $1.53
-1.96%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$2.16 $2.16
-3.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$6.54 $6.54
191.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$5.37 $5.37
-38.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$7.53 $7.53
44.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$2.24 $2.24
30.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.23 $1.23
37.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$1.31 $1.31
71.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$1.13 $1.13
84.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$1.21 $1.21
24.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.47
$1.03 $1.03
33.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.91
$0.92 $0.92
16.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.49
$1.03 $1.03
-49.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$5.87 $5.87
-28.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$8.44 $8.44
122.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.58 $1.58
15.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$3.16 $3.16
-10.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Quevedo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$0.34 $0.34
326.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.54 $1.54
96.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.29
$1.46 $1.46
-30.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$10.17 $10.17
-63.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$0.86 $0.86
70.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.4K
$23.1K $23.1K
15.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.5K
$30.4K $30.4K
-12.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Quevedo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,247
$28.24 $28.24
241.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$17.70 $17.70
-36.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$28.48 $28.48
-40.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Quevedo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,266
$29.67 $29.67
126.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
$16.14 $16.14
-33.52%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$6.75 $6.75
11.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Quevedo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$753 $753
-36.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.6K
$9,114 $9,114
23.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Quevedo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,102
$70.0 $70.0
-10.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$50.6 $50.6
-43.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,178
$116 $116
-18.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,892
$106 $106
-19.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Quevedo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$401 $401
78.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$243 $243
101.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$869 $869
121.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$505 $505
183.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Quevedo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.12
-44.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Quevedo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Quevedo
$243 50.4% $248
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Quevedo
$193 27.5% $73
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Quevedo
$74 40.2% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Quevedo
$154 26.4% $32
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Quevedo
$146 20% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Quevedo
$43 47.5% $39
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Quevedo
$10 * 85.5% $60

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 $716 in Phuket and $401 in Quevedo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $54 in Quevedo. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $193, with Quevedo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇪🇨 Quevedo
🕒 Local time
12:36 12:36 PM
00:36 12:36 AM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
300,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Quevedo 19,220 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Quevedo

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 Quevedo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quevedo cheaper than Phuket?
Quevedo is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,296 in Quevedo 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Quevedo?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $401 in Quevedo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $753 in Quevedo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Quevedo?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $54 in Quevedo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Quevedo?
At $864 in Quevedo versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Quevedo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Quevedo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Quevedo?
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.

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