Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tunja Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Tunja

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,277 in Phuket versus $1,333 in Tunja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,108 in Phuket versus $2,026 in Tunja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,940 in Phuket versus $2,720 in Tunja.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 4% less than in Tunja, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tunja 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.62 ฿153

$7.93 COP 24.8K

-41.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.40 ฿1,138

$40.53 COP 126.8K

-15.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 ฿283

$9.52 COP 29.8K

-10.08%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿98.4

$2.51 COP 7,866

18.33%

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

$0.82 ฿27.10

$1.30 COP 4,082

-36.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ฿14.55

$0.81 COP 2,529

-45.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.46 ฿81.3

$1.91 COP 5,972

28.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿125

$3.83 COP 12.0K

-1.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 ฿61.7

$1.61 COP 5,049

15.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.64

$2.34 COP 7,324

-37.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿51.6

$1.63 COP 5,098

-4.29%

Eggs

$2.20 ฿72.7

$3.78 COP 11.8K

-41.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿648

$7.03 COP 22.0K

178.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.50 ฿116

$7.31 COP 22.9K

-52.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.23 ฿372

$10.80 COP 33.8K

3.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿97.2

$3.40 COP 10.6K

-13.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.9

$1.71 COP 5,354

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.91 COP 5,988

18.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿70.2

$1.79 COP 5,598

18.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 ฿50.8

$1.41 COP 4,417

9.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 ฿46.24

$1.35 COP 4,237

3.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.36

$1.32 COP 4,142

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.88

$1.06 COP 3,319

-46.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 ฿148

$4.45 COP 13.9K

0.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.89 ฿625

$12.87 COP 40.3K

46.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 ฿62.2

$1.36 COP 4,242

38.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿94.0

$2.97 COP 9,305

-4.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 ฿77.3

$1.09 COP 3,414

113.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.38 ฿774

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 ฿97.4

$1.00 COP 3,121

194.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.17

$2.36 COP 7,394

-56.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 ฿125

$8.52 COP 26.7K

-55.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿47.97

$1.28 COP 4,016

13.28%

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

$26.8K ฿888.5K

$22.3K COP 69.9M

20.21%

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

$27.4K ฿906.1K

$36.1K COP 112.8M

-24.09%

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

$105 ฿3,477

$128 COP 401.9K

-18.21%

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

$11.01 ฿364

$16.40 COP 51.3K

-32.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.81 ฿590

$31.28 COP 97.8K

-43.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 ฿1,775

$32.96 COP 103.1K

62.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.23 ฿372

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 ฿258

$7.96 COP 24.9K

-2.01%

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

$565 ฿18.7K

$472 COP 1.5M

19.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿379.7K

$6,540 COP 20.5M

75.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 ฿2,090

$79.3 COP 248.1K

-20.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.09 ฿963

$50.3 COP 157.3K

-42.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 ฿3,285

$138 COP 433.1K

-28.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 ฿3,017

$112 COP 351.5K

-18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.4K

$657 COP 2.1M

12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.5K

$491 COP 1.5M

1.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 ฿69.3K

$1,006 COP 3.1M

108.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 ฿41.3K

$935 COP 2.9M

33.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 ฿116.9K

$2,032 COP 6.4M

73.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,542 ฿84.1K

$1,561 COP 4.9M

62.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.71

-56.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 9, 2026

Last update for Tunja: August 10, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $657 in Tunja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Phuket vs $41.00 in Tunja. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $259, with Tunja cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tunja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,915 in Phuket and $1,999 in Tunja 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 $657 in Tunja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $565 in Phuket versus $472 in Tunja. 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 $34.00 versus $41.00 in Tunja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,277 in Phuket versus $1,333 in Tunja, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tunja. 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 Tunja, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Tunja 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 4% less than in Tunja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.