🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,242 in Phuket versus $1,371 in Rionegro.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,078 in Phuket versus $2,125 in Rionegro.
😐Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,880 in Rionegro.
🌍Living in Phuket costs roughly 9% less than in Rionegro, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Rionegro is 1% above.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.60฿154
$7.57COP 24.5K
-39.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.86฿1,164
$43.62COP 140.9K
-20.08%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$8.57฿286
$9.26COP 29.9K
-7.45%
Cappuccino
$2.82฿94.1
$2.83COP 9,157
-0.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78฿25.99
$1.77COP 5,712
-55.93%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.48฿15.89
$1.49COP 4,830
-67.79%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.42฿80.9
$3.16COP 10.2K
-23.42%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.71฿124
$5.78COP 18.7K
-35.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.79฿59.7
$1.33COP 4,303
34.59%
White Bread(500g)
$1.41฿46.93
$2.37COP 7,666
-40.51%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.60฿53.3
$1.42COP 4,587
12.68%
Eggs
$2.20฿73.6
$2.64COP 8,533
-16.67%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$19.64฿656
$9.11COP 29.4K
115.59%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.50฿117
$10.71COP 34.6K
-67.32%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.24฿375
$14.46COP 46.7K
-22.27%
Apples(1kg)
$2.86฿95.6
$3.91COP 12.6K
-26.85%
Banana(1kg)
$1.68฿56.2
$1.37COP 4,427
22.63%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.31฿77.1
$2.23COP 7,195
3.59%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.10฿70.1
$1.99COP 6,437
5.53%
Potato(1kg)
$1.48฿49.36
$2.07COP 6,676
-28.50%
Onion(1kg)
$1.35฿44.94
$1.53COP 4,954
-11.76%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.07฿35.90
$1.04COP 3,368
2.88%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58฿19.24
$1.27COP 4,114
-54.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31฿144
$3.96COP 12.8K
8.84%
Wine(Bottle)
$18.67฿624
$13.10COP 42.3K
42.52%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79฿59.7
$1.61COP 5,206
11.18%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77฿92.6
$2.95COP 9,528
-6.10%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.19฿73.0
$1.13COP 3,658
93.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$22.98฿767
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.03฿101
$1.50COP 4,850
102.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.02฿34.02
$2.11COP 6,830
-51.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$3.91฿131
$8.22COP 26.6K
-52.43%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.43฿47.69
$1.26COP 4,085
13.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K฿908.9K
$27.1KCOP 87.6M
0.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K฿897.7K
$35.6KCOP 115.0M
-24.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$102฿3,413
$149COP 479.9K
-31.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.95฿366
$12.89COP 41.7K
-15.05%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.06฿570
$31.73COP 102.5K
-46.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$53.2฿1,777
$37.68COP 121.7K
41.22%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.11฿371
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.82฿261
$6.24COP 20.2K
25.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$552฿18.4K
$841COP 2.7M
-34.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$11.4K฿381.8K
$8,671COP 28.0M
31.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4฿2,083
$88.1COP 284.5K
-29.20%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.98฿968
$54.5COP 175.9K
-46.79%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$97.6฿3,261
$135COP 436.1K
-27.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.3฿2,951
$107COP 345.4K
-17.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$746฿24.9K
$729COP 2.4M
2.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$480฿16.0K
$541COP 1.7M
-11.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,112฿70.5K
$856COP 2.8M
146.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,195฿39.9K
$913COP 2.9M
30.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,579฿119.5K
$2,258COP 7.3M
58.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$2,576฿86.0K
$1,527COP 4.9M
68.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Rionegro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$509฿17.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
5.57
10.43
-46.60%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Phuket: August 3, 2026
Last update for Rionegro: August 2, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $746 in Phuket and $729 in Rionegro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
🛒Dining out: $35.00 in Phuket vs $44.00 in Rionegro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $293 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,863 in Phuket and $2,056 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: $746 in Phuket versus $729 in Rionegro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $552 in Phuket versus $841 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 $35.00 versus $44.00 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 $1,242 in Phuket versus $1,371 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 10% less than in Rionegro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.