Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Riobamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Riobamba: $557 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Riobamba
Learn more

Riobamba Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Riobamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Riobamba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $557 in Riobamba.

Phuket $1,294
Riobamba $557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $889 in Riobamba.

Phuket $2,204
Riobamba $889

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,220 in Riobamba.

Phuket $3,115
Riobamba $1,220

Living in Phuket is roughly 132% more expensive than in Riobamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Riobamba 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$3.47 $3.47

26.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,078

$16.17 $16.17

99.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿290

$6.27 $6.27

38.76%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿90.9

$2.36 $2.36

15.25%

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

$0.93 ฿31.06

$0.77 $0.77

20.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$0.71 $0.71

-29.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.98 $1.98

27.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.92 $2.92

24.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.98 $0.98

77.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$2.18 $2.18

-33.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$0.86 $0.86

74.42%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.5

$1.70 $1.70

27.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿637

$1.98 $1.98

864.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿113

$3.12 $3.12

8.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$4.77 $4.77

128.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.2

$1.77 $1.77

66.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$0.49 $0.49

244.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.2

$1.41 $1.41

55.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿70.9

$0.99 $0.99

114.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.68

$0.77 $0.77

89.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.66

$0.86 $0.86

59.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.91

$0.47 $0.47

129.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$0.98 $0.98

-43.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$5.12 $5.12

-13.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿609

$5.45 $5.45

234.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$1.53 $1.53

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.2

$2.92 $2.92

-1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.29 $0.29

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,832

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$1.27 $1.27

18.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.90

$1.08 $1.08

-27.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$11.08 $11.08

-65.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.65

$0.83 $0.83

79.52%

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

$26.9K ฿897.3K

$23.3K $23.3K

15.52%

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

$26.3K ฿879.4K

$30.4K $30.4K

-13.32%

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

$97.8 ฿3,265

$19.63 $19.63

398.27%

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

$11.29 ฿377

$6.88 $6.88

64.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿574

$27.13 $27.13

-36.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,281

$25.35 $25.35

169.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$16.55 $16.55

-34.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$6.01 $6.01

23.63%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$79.6 $79.6

566.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿626.9K

$1,459 $1,459

1187.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,059

$50.6 $50.6

21.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿943

$48.00 $48.00

-41.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,204

$104 $104

-7.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,898

$72.0 $72.0

20.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$117 $117

518.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$95.9 $95.9

430.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.1K

$222 $222

776.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.6K

$192 $192

627.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿139.9K

$497 $497

742.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

$340 $340

44.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.16

-50.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Riobamba: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Riobamba

$96 17.2% 81.2% $413

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Riobamba

$142 25.5% 46.8% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Riobamba

$54 9.6% 57.5% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Riobamba

$123 22.2% 0.6% $0.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Riobamba

$97 17.3% 19.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Riobamba

$37 6.7% 55.1% $46

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Riobamba

$7.9 * 1.4% 88.1% $58

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 $117 in Riobamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $16 in Riobamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $142 per month, with Riobamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Riobamba

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

18:55 6:55 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

170,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.47 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Riobamba 19,250 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Riobamba

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 Riobamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riobamba is about 57% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 45% 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 $117 in Riobamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $80 in Riobamba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Riobamba – a meal for two runs $16 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $557 in Riobamba versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Riobamba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Riobamba 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 Riobamba are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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