Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rionegro

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,294 a month against $1,459 in Rionegro, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Rionegro, Colombia
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Rionegro
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,459
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Rionegro

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $1,459 in Rionegro.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Rionegro $1,459

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $2,176 in Rionegro.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Rionegro $2,176

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $2,894 in Rionegro.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Rionegro $2,894

Living in Phuket costs roughly 11% less than in Rionegro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 4% below, Rionegro is 8% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$8.26 COP 26.8K
-46.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,090
$47.27 COP 153.3K
-31.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿294
$9.45 COP 30.6K
-7.94%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.9
$3.09 COP 10.0K
-11.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.38
$1.84 COP 5,977
-49.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.85
$1.43 COP 4,650
-65.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.4
$3.06 COP 9,937
-17.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$5.64 COP 18.3K
-35.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.7
$1.43 COP 4,645
21.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$2.49 COP 8,080
-41.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$1.75 COP 5,660
-14.29%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$2.91 COP 9,447
-25.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿644
$9.91 COP 32.1K
92.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿115
$9.77 COP 31.7K
-65.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿368
$13.90 COP 45.1K
-21.58%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿99.2
$3.95 COP 12.8K
-25.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.51 COP 4,886
11.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿74.0
$2.11 COP 6,844
3.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.6
$2.19 COP 7,107
-3.20%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.19
$1.99 COP 6,449
-26.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.14
$1.58 COP 5,108
-13.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.29
$1.13 COP 3,675
-4.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.40
$1.25 COP 4,062
-56.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$3.98 COP 12.9K
11.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿616
$13.51 COP 43.8K
35.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.8
$1.65 COP 5,353
7.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿97.2
$2.29 COP 7,437
25.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.82
$1.07 COP 3,467
35.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,851
$65.0 COP 210.7K
-15.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.33 COP 4,322
13.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.17
$2.05 COP 6,657
-61.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$8.22 COP 26.6K
-53.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.2
$1.30 COP 4,221
14.62%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿906.7K
$34.2K COP 110.8M
-21.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.6K
$34.7K COP 112.6M
-24.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,299
$169 COP 547.1K
-42.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿381
$13.21 COP 42.8K
-14.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿580
$28.88 COP 93.7K
-40.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,305
$37.76 COP 122.5K
80.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿368
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿251
$7.08 COP 22.9K
4.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.9K
$790 COP 2.6M
-32.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿633.5K
$8,934 COP 29.0M
110.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,080
$85.4 COP 276.8K
-27.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿953
$57.8 COP 187.5K
-51.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,238
$139 COP 449.3K
-30.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,928
$97.6 COP 316.5K
-11.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.3K
$707 COP 2.3M
1.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.2K
$478 COP 1.6M
6.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.8K
$1,395 COP 4.5M
39.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.1K
$771 COP 2.5M
81.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿141.4K
$2,191 COP 7.1M
91.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿111.3K
$1,763 COP 5.7M
87.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.94
-49.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Rionegro: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Rionegro
$478 6% $30
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Rionegro
$295 10.5% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Rionegro
$211 66.9% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Rionegro
$171 39.1% $48
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Rionegro
$171 43.1% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Rionegro
$52 37.6% $31
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Rionegro
$81 22.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $707 in Rionegro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $47 in Rionegro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $295 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇨🇴 Rionegro
🕒 Local time
16:49 4:49 PM
04:49 4:49 AM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
130,000
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Rionegro 18,310 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Rionegro

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 Rionegro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Rionegro?
Phuket is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. 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 $1,940 in Phuket and $2,188 in Rionegro 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 Rionegro?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $707 in Rionegro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $790 in Rionegro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Rionegro?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Rionegro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Rionegro?
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.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Rionegro?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Rionegro are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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