Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $1,015 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Quito
Learn more

Quito Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Quito

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,015 in Quito.

Phuket $1,278
Quito $1,015

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,636 in Quito.

Phuket $2,216
Quito $1,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,258 in Quito.

Phuket $3,154
Quito $2,258

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than in Quito, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Quito 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.41 $5.41

-17.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$55.2 $55.2

-41.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$7.66 $7.66

15.01%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$3.31 $3.31

-14.50%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.36 $1.36

-36.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$1.09 $1.09

-55.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$3.46 $3.46

-26.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$5.85 $5.85

-37.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.09 $1.09

52.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.55 $1.55

-5.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.56 $1.56

-3.85%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.16 $2.16

-3.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$6.45 $6.45

195.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$5.22 $5.22

-36.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.66 $7.66

42.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.34 $2.34

25.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.20 $1.20

40.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.27 $1.27

77.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.12 $1.12

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.19 $1.19

26.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.02 $1.02

35.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.90 $0.90

18.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$1.00 $1.00

-48.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.14 $6.14

-31.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$8.62 $8.62

117.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.58 $1.58

15.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$3.10 $3.10

-8.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.36 $0.36

302.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$21.34 $21.34

165.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.46 $1.46

106.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$1.54 $1.54

-33.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$10.07 $10.07

-63.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$0.86 $0.86

70.93%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$23.3K $23.3K

14.74%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$30.5K $30.5K

-12.47%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$28.33 $28.33

240.10%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$18.08 $18.08

-37.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$28.84 $28.84

-41.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$42.86 $42.86

56.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$17.92 $17.92

-40.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.75 $6.75

11.11%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$750 $750

-36.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$8,967 $8,967

25.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$69.7 $69.7

-10.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$49.06 $49.06

-42.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$112 $112

-16.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$110 $110

-21.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$548 $548

30.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$362 $362

35.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$1,126 $1,126

71.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$637 $637

124.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,654 $1,654

152.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$664 $664

358.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$606 $606

-17.18%

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 Quito: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Quito

$362 35.6% 26.3% $129

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Quito

$192 18.9% 28% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Quito

$75 7.4% 39.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Quito

$153 15.1% 25.7% $31

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Quito

$145 14.3% 19% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Quito

$56 5.6% 31.5% $26

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Quito

$32 3.2% 54.7% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $548 in Quito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quito pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $55 in Quito. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $192, with Quito cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

15:22 3:22 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Quito 19,100 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Quito

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 Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Phuket. 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: $716 in Phuket versus $548 in Quito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $750 in Quito. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Quito gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.