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 $767 in San Juan de Pasto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,088 in San Juan de Pasto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,409 in San Juan de Pasto.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than San Juan de Pasto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, San Juan de Pasto 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.85 COP 10.3K

62.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$12.07 COP 43.6K

288.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.45 COP 23.3K

37.05%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.74 COP 6,266

72.41%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.70 COP 2,521

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.49 COP 1,768

-24.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.19 COP 4,287

105.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.48 COP 8,948

45.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.05 COP 3,803

115.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.28 COP 4,613

43.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.13 COP 4,097

98.23%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.91 COP 6,887

21.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$5.86 COP 21.2K

235.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.23 COP 15.3K

-13.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.24 COP 26.1K

80.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.60 COP 5,760

111.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.07 COP 3,868

53.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.34 COP 4,842

79.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.90 COP 3,256

125.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.11 COP 4,003

40.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.14 COP 4,111

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.80 COP 2,889

27.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.69 COP 2,483

-28.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.34 COP 8,450

90.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$14.05 COP 50.7K

34.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.09 COP 3,948

63.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.72 COP 6,202

59.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.58 COP 2,108

141.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$29.52 COP 106.6K

-61.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.48 COP 5,329

110.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.44 COP 5,205

-30.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.18 COP 22.3K

127.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.94 COP 3,406

43.62%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$18.2K COP 65.7M

49.38%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$25.9K COP 93.6M

26.93%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$61.5 COP 221.9K

103.35%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$7.08 COP 25.6K

91.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$22.99 COP 83.0K

-19.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$21.56 COP 77.8K

185.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.92 COP 14.2K

134.44%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$242 COP 873.8K

188.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,014 COP 21.7M

159.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$59.9 COP 216.1K

-3.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$33.28 COP 120.1K

5.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$83.1 COP 300.2K

36.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$53.2 COP 192.1K

62.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$307 COP 1.1M

100.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$242 COP 872.2K

84.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$375 COP 1.4M

446.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$327 COP 1.2M

355.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,723 COP 6.2M

119.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,301 COP 4.7M

103.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$450 COP 1.6M

16.30%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for San Juan de Pasto: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $307 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 16% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $12.00 in San Juan de Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $174 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 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 16% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $307 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $242 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 68% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $767 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,232 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 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.