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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $703 in Tunja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,078 in Tunja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,453 in Tunja.

Living in Phuket is roughly 75% more expensive than Tunja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Tunja 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$2.60 COP 9,387

78.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$14.73 COP 53.2K

217.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.90 COP 24.9K

28.12%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.07 COP 3,867

180.37%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$0.76 COP 2,747

-2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.59 COP 2,128

-37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.22 COP 4,410

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.04 COP 7,382

76.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.23 COP 4,436

83.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.06 COP 3,835

73.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.19 COP 4,298

88.24%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.26 COP 8,143

2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$4.04 COP 14.6K

386.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.93 COP 21.4K

-38.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.48 COP 27.0K

75.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.58 COP 9,330

31.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.22 COP 4,422

34.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.88 COP 3,178

173.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.91 COP 3,303

123.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.20 COP 4,330

30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.97 COP 3,495

54.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.97 COP 3,520

5.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.78 COP 2,833

-37.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.74 COP 6,278

155.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.34 COP 30.1K

126.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.83 COP 2,979

114.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.51 COP 5,440

82.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.52 COP 1,876

169.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.70 COP 2,518

345.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.56 COP 5,616

-35.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.88 COP 21.2K

139.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$0.92 COP 3,313

46.74%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.6K COP 70.8M

38.51%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.0K COP 101.0M

17.66%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$74.5 COP 268.8K

67.83%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$8.80 COP 31.8K

54.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$20.58 COP 74.3K

-10.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$17.27 COP 62.4K

255.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$3.76 COP 13.6K

144.41%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$240 COP 867.2K

190.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,469 COP 8.9M

531.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$65.5 COP 236.6K

-11.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$33.11 COP 119.5K

6.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$84.1 COP 303.7K

34.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$38.28 COP 138.2K

125.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$294 COP 1.1M

109.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$232 COP 839.0K

91.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$529 COP 1.9M

287.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$426 COP 1.5M

250.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

15.25

-65.05%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Tunja: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $294 in Tunja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $15.00 in Tunja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $172 per month, with Tunja 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 Tunja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tunja is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,055 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: $616 in Phuket versus $294 in Tunja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $240 in Tunja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tunja – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $703 in Tunja versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tunja but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tunja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tunja 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 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 Tunja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.