Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Juan de Pasto Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and San Juan de Pasto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $2,098 in San Juan de Pasto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,891 in San Juan de Pasto.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 6% less than in San Juan de Pasto, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, San Juan de Pasto 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$7.15 COP 22.7K

-38.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$37.98 COP 120.6K

-15.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$11.12 COP 35.3K

-19.69%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$2.51 COP 7,953

15.54%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.33 COP 4,212

-33.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.85 COP 2,704

-43.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.69 COP 8,540

-12.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.33 COP 10.6K

11.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.53 COP 4,858

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$2.44 COP 7,744

-39.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.66 COP 5,256

-6.63%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$3.32 COP 10.5K

-36.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$9.33 COP 29.6K

109.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$10.45 COP 33.2K

-67.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$13.66 COP 43.4K

-16.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$3.56 COP 11.3K

-16.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.28 COP 4,048

31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$2.21 COP 7,022

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$2.14 COP 6,802

0.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.38 COP 4,390

10.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.53 COP 4,844

-12.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$1.37 COP 4,334

-17.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$1.31 COP 4,157

-58.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.66 COP 11.6K

16.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$13.22 COP 42.0K

44.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.26 COP 3,987

41.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$3.08 COP 9,786

-9.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.10 COP 3,504

102.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.74 COP 5,532

74.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$2.48 COP 7,861

-58.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$9.29 COP 29.5K

-58.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.27 COP 4,033

17.32%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$25.5K COP 81.1M

4.08%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$35.5K COP 112.6M

-23.80%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$129 COP 409.0K

-20.45%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$14.14 COP 44.9K

-19.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$29.87 COP 94.8K

-41.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$36.86 COP 117.0K

41.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$6.18 COP 19.6K

24.43%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$569 COP 1.8M

-1.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$5,789 COP 18.4M

98.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$96.1 COP 305.2K

-34.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$59.3 COP 188.4K

-50.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$148 COP 471.3K

-33.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$108 COP 341.5K

-17.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$670 COP 2.1M

10.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$464 COP 1.5M

3.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$1,073 COP 3.4M

96.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$1,032 COP 3.3M

18.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,958 COP 6.2M

84.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,854 COP 5.9M

40.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.58

-51.90%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for San Juan de Pasto: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $670 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $38.00 in San Juan de Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 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 San Juan de Pasto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,957 in San Juan de Pasto 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 $670 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $569 in San Juan de Pasto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $38.00 in San Juan de Pasto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in San Juan de Pasto. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Phuket and San Juan de Pasto 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in San Juan de Pasto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.