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: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,207 in Salento.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,601 in Salento.

Living in Phuket is roughly 52% more expensive than Salento, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Salento 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$3.99 COP 14.4K

16.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$23.54 COP 85.0K

98.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$7.40 COP 26.7K

19.46%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.55 COP 5,597

93.55%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.93 COP 3,348

-20.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.60 COP 2,179

-38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.16 COP 4,182

110.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.20 COP 7,933

64.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.06 COP 3,826

113.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.24 COP 4,491

48.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.17 COP 4,235

91.45%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.21 COP 7,970

4.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.56 COP 16.5K

331.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.25 COP 19.0K

-30.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.24 COP 26.1K

80.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.52 COP 9,103

34.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.05 COP 3,787

56.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.31 COP 4,738

83.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.10 COP 3,976

84.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.12 COP 4,040

39.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.13 COP 4,080

32.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.80 COP 2,896

27.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.65 COP 2,348

-24.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.33 COP 8,406

90.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$9.45 COP 34.1K

99.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.10 COP 3,967

61.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.76 COP 6,355

56.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.67 COP 2,403

108.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$30.19 COP 109.0K

-61.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.44 COP 5,186

116.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.79 COP 6,473

-44.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.22 COP 22.4K

126.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.00 COP 3,609

35.00%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$17.8K COP 64.3M

52.71%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.8K COP 93.3M

27.37%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$82.4 COP 297.5K

51.67%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$9.12 COP 32.9K

48.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$22.47 COP 81.1K

-17.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$23.24 COP 83.9K

164.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$4.00 COP 14.4K

129.75%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$240 COP 867.4K

190.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,005 COP 21.7M

159.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$59.7 COP 215.6K

-3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$32.39 COP 116.9K

8.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$82.4 COP 297.3K

37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$71.5 COP 258.2K

20.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$268 COP 966.0K

130.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$239 COP 864.3K

86.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$526 COP 1.9M

289.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$422 COP 1.5M

253.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,435 COP 5.2M

163.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,064 COP 3.8M

148.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Salento: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 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 $292 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,219 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: $616 in Phuket versus $268 in Salento. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 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 $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 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.