Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salento Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salento

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $808 in Salento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,204 in Salento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,600 in Salento.

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than in Salento, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Salento 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$3.86 COP 12.1K

16.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$23.73 COP 74.7K

92.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.17 COP 22.6K

22.18%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.49 COP 4,677

99.33%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.87 COP 2,748

-20.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.58 COP 1,811

-32.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.19 COP 3,760

112.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.24 COP 7,050

67.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.07 COP 3,360

100.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.24 COP 3,913

46.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.15 COP 3,612

89.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.12 COP 6,672

6.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$4.63 COP 14.6K

331.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.16 COP 16.3K

-29.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.39 COP 23.3K

83.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.54 COP 7,994

27.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.07 COP 3,378

53.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.36 COP 4,294

71.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.06 COP 3,343

95.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.13 COP 3,549

37.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.17 COP 3,671

24.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.82 COP 2,593

19.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.64 COP 2,031

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.46 COP 7,743

76.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.48 COP 29.8K

95.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.09 COP 3,429

70.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.74 COP 5,468

52.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.69 COP 2,162

105.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$29.74 COP 93.6K

-61.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.49 COP 4,676

112.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.80 COP 5,654

-42.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$5.90 COP 18.6K

135.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.96 COP 3,014

39.58%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

57.82%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$25.1K COP 79.0M

33.04%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$81.0 COP 255.0K

51.91%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$9.23 COP 29.1K

49.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$22.66 COP 71.4K

-19.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$23.65 COP 74.5K

156.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.00 COP 12.6K

121.75%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$240 COP 754.3K

187.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,011 COP 18.9M

162.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$60.1 COP 189.2K

-1.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$33.12 COP 104.3K

4.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$83.7 COP 263.5K

37.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$73.4 COP 231.0K

14.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$276 COP 868.8K

125.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$235 COP 741.1K

89.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$537 COP 1.7M

278.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$414 COP 1.3M

261.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,453 COP 4.6M

137.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,052 COP 3.3M

140.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.06

-59.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Salento: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $276 in Salento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Salento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $173 per month, with Salento 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 Salento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salento is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,212 in Salento 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $276 in Salento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $240 in Salento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $808 in Salento versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salento but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Salento the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Salento is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Salento are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Salento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.