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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $813 in Salento.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,204 in Salento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,594 in Salento.

Living in Phuket is roughly 51% more expensive than in Salento, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Salento 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$3.85 COP 12.2K

14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$23.18 COP 73.6K

39.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.35 COP 23.3K

21.50%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.50 COP 4,759

93.33%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$0.91 COP 2,897

-3.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.60 COP 1,909

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.19 COP 3,767

97.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.21 COP 7,004

68.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.05 COP 3,339

78.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.24 COP 3,923

18.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.14 COP 3,615

35.96%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.12 COP 6,722

-0.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$4.56 COP 14.5K

329.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$5.39 COP 17.1K

-36.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.20 COP 22.9K

58.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.46 COP 7,809

21.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.04 COP 3,299

61.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.31 COP 4,155

68.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.11 COP 3,519

94.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.12 COP 3,551

35.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.17 COP 3,712

14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.88 COP 2,792

28.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.64 COP 2,023

-14.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.43 COP 7,727

75.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$9.38 COP 29.8K

103.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.09 COP 3,451

63.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.72 COP 5,457

61.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.73 COP 2,315

205.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$30.31 COP 96.2K

-24.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.47 COP 4,660

106.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$1.71 COP 5,443

-40.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.03 COP 19.1K

-35.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$0.99 COP 3,133

50.51%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$17.8K COP 56.4M

49.66%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$24.9K COP 79.1M

8.51%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$82.6 COP 262.4K

24.00%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$8.86 COP 28.1K

27.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$22.71 COP 72.1K

-23.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$23.22 COP 73.7K

124.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$3.97 COP 12.6K

93.70%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$236 COP 750.1K

137.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$6,055 COP 19.2M

90.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$58.6 COP 185.9K

7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$32.68 COP 103.7K

-9.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$82.3 COP 261.3K

19.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$73.5 COP 233.3K

20.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$267 COP 848.6K

176.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$240 COP 763.0K

100.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$527 COP 1.7M

299.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$424 COP 1.3M

189.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,406 COP 4.5M

157.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,054 COP 3.3M

146.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

13.06

-57.35%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Salento: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $267 in Salento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Salento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $172 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. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,220 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: $738 in Phuket versus $267 in Salento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $236 in Salento. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $813 in Salento versus $1,232 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 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.