Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sincelejo Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sincelejo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $633 in Sincelejo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $955 in Sincelejo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,276 in Sincelejo.

Living in Phuket is roughly 100% more expensive than Sincelejo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sincelejo 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$4.74 COP 16.9K

-0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$21.53 COP 76.9K

110.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.08 COP 25.3K

19.07%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.67 COP 5,966

75.45%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.77 COP 2,738

-10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.65 COP 2,304

-43.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.25 COP 4,478

92.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.96 COP 6,991

89.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.94 COP 3,344

137.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$0.71 COP 2,536

157.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.78 COP 2,786

178.21%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.01 COP 7,163

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.13 COP 11.2K

530.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.36 COP 12.0K

8.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.03 COP 25.1K

92.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.48 COP 5,284

121.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.29 COP 4,616

24.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.23 COP 4,410

95.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.70 COP 2,483

197.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.84 COP 3,003

82.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.74 COP 2,657

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.47 COP 1,663

110.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.63 COP 2,236

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.77 COP 6,306

149.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.56 COP 23.4K

195.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.85 COP 3,026

109.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.07 COP 3,830

153.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.82 COP 2,943

67.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$29.63 COP 105.8K

-61.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.96 COP 6,995

54.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.89 COP 6,741

-47.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.95 COP 17.7K

184.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.89 COP 3,174

52.81%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$15.3K COP 54.6M

84.46%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.2K COP 79.3M

48.23%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$92.7 COP 331.1K

31.24%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.22 COP 29.3K

65.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$21.16 COP 75.6K

-13.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$23.72 COP 84.7K

153.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.34 COP 15.5K

100.23%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$158 COP 565.5K

337.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$1,836 COP 6.6M

754.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$60.8 COP 217.2K

-2.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$40.59 COP 144.9K

-14.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$78.4 COP 280.0K

46.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$62.9 COP 224.6K

32.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$170 COP 605.6K

261.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$91.6 COP 326.9K

377.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$240 COP 858.8K

770.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$141 COP 504.2K

969.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$727 COP 2.6M

415.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$407 COP 1.5M

542.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$327 COP 1.2M

55.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-51.55%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Sincelejo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $170 in Sincelejo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 56% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Sincelejo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $131 per month, with Sincelejo 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 Sincelejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sincelejo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 56% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $170 in Sincelejo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $158 in Sincelejo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 123% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $633 in Sincelejo versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sincelejo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sincelejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sincelejo 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 Sincelejo 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 Sincelejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.