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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $773 in San Juan de Pasto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,085 in San Juan de Pasto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,398 in San Juan de Pasto.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than in San Juan de Pasto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, San Juan de Pasto 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$2.82 COP 8,868

58.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$11.90 COP 37.5K

283.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.55 COP 20.6K

33.74%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.66 COP 5,234

78.92%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$0.68 COP 2,142

1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.45 COP 1,419

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.18 COP 3,727

114.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.35 COP 7,412

59.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.06 COP 3,352

102.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.29 COP 4,077

41.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.13 COP 3,571

92.92%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$1.90 COP 5,989

18.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$5.84 COP 18.4K

242.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.26 COP 13.4K

-14.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.53 COP 23.7K

80.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.55 COP 4,896

109.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.07 COP 3,377

53.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.37 COP 4,310

70.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$0.90 COP 2,846

130.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.16 COP 3,643

33.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.14 COP 3,581

28.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.80 COP 2,518

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.69 COP 2,167

-30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.32 COP 7,316

87.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$15.73 COP 49.5K

18.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.08 COP 3,414

72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.74 COP 5,464

52.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.57 COP 1,798

149.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$30.63 COP 96.4K

-62.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.50 COP 4,737

111.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$1.51 COP 4,766

-31.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.02 COP 19.0K

130.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$0.91 COP 2,865

47.25%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

57.88%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$25.9K COP 81.6M

28.75%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$62.6 COP 197.2K

96.50%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$7.08 COP 22.3K

94.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$23.03 COP 72.5K

-20.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$22.08 COP 69.5K

174.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.98 COP 12.5K

122.86%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$238 COP 749.3K

189.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$5,867 COP 18.5M

168.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$59.9 COP 188.6K

-0.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$32.18 COP 101.3K

7.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$83.7 COP 263.5K

37.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$52.4 COP 164.9K

59.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$301 COP 948.2K

106.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$237 COP 744.7K

88.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$380 COP 1.2M

435.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$329 COP 1.0M

354.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,913 COP 6.0M

80.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,277 COP 4.0M

98.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$504 COP 1.6M

-2.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

13.18

-59.56%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for San Juan de Pasto: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $301 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan de Pasto pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in San Juan de Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $179 per month, with San Juan de Pasto 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

San Juan de Pasto is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in San Juan de Pasto. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $301 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $238 in San Juan de Pasto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $773 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan de Pasto but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan de Pasto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Juan de Pasto 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 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 San Juan de Pasto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.