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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $802 in Salento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,200 in Salento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,597 in Salento.

Living in Phuket is roughly 57% more expensive than Salento, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Salento 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$3.85 COP 13.5K

18.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$23.55 COP 82.2K

98.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.39 COP 25.8K

14.61%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.50 COP 5,227

102.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.89 COP 3,093

-22.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.56 COP 1,960

-33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.19 COP 4,154

109.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.14 COP 7,473

71.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.11 COP 3,872

96.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.28 COP 4,476

48.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.13 COP 3,941

94.69%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.19 COP 7,639

1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.49 COP 15.7K

345.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.15 COP 18.0K

-28.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.16 COP 25.0K

85.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.47 COP 8,611

30.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.09 COP 3,801

55.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.30 COP 4,536

83.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.10 COP 3,835

89.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.11 COP 3,864

43.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.13 COP 3,933

30.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.82 COP 2,849

25.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.69 COP 2,406

-24.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.34 COP 8,183

81.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.62 COP 33.6K

95.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.08 COP 3,764

62.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.78 COP 6,219

55.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.73 COP 2,534

86.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$29.72 COP 103.7K

-61.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.44 COP 5,016

118.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.79 COP 6,232

-41.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.03 COP 21.1K

128.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.93 COP 3,235

44.09%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$17.7K COP 61.9M

56.11%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$25.2K COP 88.0M

34.33%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$83.2 COP 290.5K

48.47%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.85 COP 30.9K

52.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$22.58 COP 78.8K

-17.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$22.94 COP 80.1K

169.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.96 COP 13.8K

130.81%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$243 COP 846.7K

189.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,075 COP 21.2M

161.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$59.1 COP 206.3K

0.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$32.20 COP 112.4K

8.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$84.3 COP 294.0K

36.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$71.4 COP 249.2K

17.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$268 COP 936.5K

130.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$238 COP 832.2K

81.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$530 COP 1.8M

289.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$413 COP 1.4M

265.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,400 COP 4.9M

160.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,046 COP 3.7M

151.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Salento: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $268 in Salento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $24.00 in Salento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,203 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: $619 in Phuket versus $268 in Salento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $243 in Salento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $802 in Salento versus $1,261 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 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.