🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,434 in Rionegro.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,245 in Rionegro.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $3,056 in Rionegro.
🌍Living in Phuket costs roughly 14% less than in Rionegro, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Rionegro is 5% above.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.41฿147
$7.95COP 25.2K
-44.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.26฿1,074
$48.93COP 155.4K
-34.07%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.93฿297
$9.77COP 31.0K
-8.60%
Cappuccino
$2.90฿96.4
$3.03COP 9,629
-4.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.88฿29.30
$1.85COP 5,867
-52.43%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48฿16.01
$1.50COP 4,763
-68.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.35฿78.3
$3.16COP 10.0K
-25.63%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72฿124
$5.67COP 18.0K
-34.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.87฿62.1
$1.43COP 4,553
30.77%
White Bread(500g)
$1.47฿48.81
$2.49COP 7,904
-40.96%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.55฿51.7
$1.77COP 5,635
-12.43%
Eggs
$2.10฿70.0
$2.88COP 9,145
-27.08%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.59฿652
$10.07COP 32.0K
94.54%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.42฿114
$10.18COP 32.3K
-66.40%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.38฿379
$14.10COP 44.8K
-19.29%
Apples(1kg)
$2.98฿99.3
$4.06COP 12.9K
-26.60%
Banana(1kg)
$1.68฿56.1
$1.62COP 5,131
3.70%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.21฿73.5
$2.27COP 7,191
-2.64%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.16฿72.0
$2.24COP 7,127
-3.57%
Potato(1kg)
$1.52฿50.8
$2.02COP 6,411
-24.75%
Onion(1kg)
$1.34฿44.55
$1.54COP 4,884
-12.99%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.13฿37.57
$1.16COP 3,680
-2.59%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55฿18.19
$1.32COP 4,176
-58.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26฿142
$3.93COP 12.5K
8.40%
Wine(Bottle)
$19.09฿635
$13.81COP 43.8K
38.23%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.78฿59.2
$1.73COP 5,499
2.89%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78฿92.6
$2.78COP 8,828
-
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.23฿74.2
$0.99COP 3,148
125.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$22.74฿757
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.03฿101
$1.37COP 4,336
121.17%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.02฿34.06
$2.16COP 6,872
-52.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.89฿130
$8.61COP 27.3K
-54.82%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.49฿49.63
$1.32COP 4,176
12.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.6K฿884.9K
$28.2KCOP 89.5M
-5.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K฿899.8K
$36.0KCOP 114.4M
-24.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$102฿3,411
$179COP 567.3K
-42.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.33฿377
$13.98COP 44.4K
-18.96%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.40฿579
$28.72COP 91.2K
-39.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$52.1฿1,734
$40.17COP 127.5K
29.65%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.07฿369
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.69฿256
$6.65COP 21.1K
15.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$561฿18.7K
$793COP 2.5M
-29.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.5K฿383.0K
$9,374COP 29.8M
22.74%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.0฿2,098
$87.9COP 279.1K
-28.29%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.52฿983
$60.4COP 191.9K
-51.16%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.0฿3,263
$140COP 445.6K
-30.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.5฿2,946
$103COP 327.4K
-14.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$738฿24.6K
$722COP 2.3M
2.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$482฿16.1K
$440COP 1.4M
9.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,107฿70.1K
$1,075COP 3.4M
95.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,226฿40.8K
$1,018COP 3.2M
20.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,617฿120.4K
$2,264COP 7.2M
59.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,603฿86.7K
$1,751COP 5.6M
48.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$494฿16.4K
-
-
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: September 15, 2026
Last update for Rionegro: September 12, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $722 in Rionegro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Rionegro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $303 per month, with Phuket 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 Rionegro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rionegro cheaper than Phuket?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $2,151 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: $738 in Phuket versus $722 in Rionegro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $793 in Rionegro. 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 Rionegro?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $49.00 in Rionegro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Rionegro?
At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,434 in Rionegro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rionegro. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Phuket or Rionegro more family-friendly?
For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rionegro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Phuket or Rionegro?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Rionegro are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Rionegro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.