Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tulcán

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulcán: $890 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Tulcán
Learn more

Tulcán Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Tulcán

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$890

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Tulcán

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Tulcán actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $890 in Tulcán.

Phuket $1,294
Tulcán $890

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,479 in Tulcán.

Phuket $2,204
Tulcán $1,479

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $2,067 in Tulcán.

Phuket $3,115
Tulcán $2,067

Living in Phuket is roughly 45% more expensive than in Tulcán, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Tulcán 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$5.46 $5.46

-19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,089

$55.5 $55.5

-41.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿293

$7.77 $7.77

11.97%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.8

$3.41 $3.41

-20.23%

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

$0.93 ฿31.35

$1.43 $1.43

-34.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.83

$1.05 $1.05

-52.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.3

$3.59 $3.59

-29.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$6.09 $6.09

-40.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.6

$1.09 $1.09

59.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.89

$1.60 $1.60

-9.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.57 $1.57

-4.46%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.2

$2.18 $2.18

-0.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿643

$6.34 $6.34

201.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$5.24 $5.24

-35.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿367

$7.67 $7.67

42.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.1

$2.31 $2.31

27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.24 $1.24

36.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.9

$1.33 $1.33

64.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.6

$1.08 $1.08

96.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.15

$1.20 $1.20

21.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.10

$1.07 $1.07

28.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.26

$0.87 $0.87

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.38

$1.03 $1.03

-46.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$6.02 $6.02

-26.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿615

$8.59 $8.59

112.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.7

$1.52 $1.52

16.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.1

$3.10 $3.10

-7.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.78

$0.34 $0.34

326.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,850

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.51 $1.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.14

$1.47 $1.47

-46.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$10.09 $10.09

-61.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.1

$0.87 $0.87

71.26%

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

$26.9K ฿905.9K

$23.5K $23.5K

14.60%

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

$26.3K ฿887.8K

$30.2K $30.2K

-12.87%

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

$97.8 ฿3,296

$28.34 $28.34

245.13%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$18.09 $18.09

-37.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿579

$28.93 $28.93

-40.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,303

$29.41 $29.41

132.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$16.25 $16.25

-32.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$6.41 $6.41

15.91%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$744 $744

-28.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿632.9K

$8,868 $8,868

111.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,078

$70.4 $70.4

-12.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿952

$49.24 $49.24

-42.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,235

$116 $116

-17.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,926

$107 $107

-19.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$418 $418

72.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$268 $268

90.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.7K

$832 $832

134.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$508 $508

174.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.12

-44.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Tulcán: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Tulcán

$268 30.1% 47.4% $241

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Tulcán

$192 21.6% 27.9% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Tulcán

$75 8.5% 40.3% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Tulcán

$155 17.4% 25.9% $32

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Tulcán

$148 16.6% 23.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Tulcán

$42 4.7% 49.2% $41

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Tulcán

$10 * 1.1% 84.6% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $418 in Tulcán. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $56 in Tulcán. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $192, with Tulcán cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Tulcán

🕒 Local time

04:08 4:08 AM

16:08 4:08 PM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

82,734

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.97 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.69 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Tulcán 18,960 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Tulcán

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tulcán: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulcán is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $1,336 in Tulcán 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: $721 in Phuket versus $418 in Tulcán. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $744 in Tulcán. 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 versus $56 in Tulcán. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $890 in Tulcán versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Tulcán but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tulcán the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.