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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $711 in Tunja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,062 in Tunja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,413 in Tunja.

Living in Phuket is roughly 78% more expensive than Tunja, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Tunja 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$2.68 COP 9,353

70.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$14.38 COP 50.2K

224.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.71 COP 23.4K

26.23%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.07 COP 3,731

183.18%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.74 COP 2,588

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.56 COP 1,937

-33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.19 COP 4,151

109.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.11 COP 7,356

73.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.21 COP 4,239

80.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.06 COP 3,698

79.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.20 COP 4,185

83.33%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.18 COP 7,595

1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$4.24 COP 14.8K

371.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.67 COP 19.8K

-35.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.24 COP 25.3K

83.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.48 COP 8,667

30.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.18 COP 4,124

44.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.85 COP 2,959

181.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$0.92 COP 3,219

126.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.19 COP 4,154

33.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.94 COP 3,292

57.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.95 COP 3,312

8.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.74 COP 2,586

-29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.66 COP 5,797

156.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$8.41 COP 29.4K

123.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.83 COP 2,889

112.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.56 COP 5,447

76.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.51 COP 1,768

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$0.66 COP 2,312

375.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.55 COP 5,421

-32.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$5.95 COP 20.8K

131.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.93 COP 3,230

44.09%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$19.2K COP 66.9M

44.45%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$28.0K COP 97.6M

21.12%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$76.1 COP 265.7K

62.36%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$8.86 COP 30.9K

52.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$20.41 COP 71.2K

-8.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$16.80 COP 58.6K

267.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$3.81 COP 13.3K

139.90%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$242 COP 844.3K

190.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$2,419 COP 8.4M

556.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$63.7 COP 222.2K

-6.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$33.19 COP 115.8K

5.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$83.8 COP 292.3K

37.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$37.53 COP 131.0K

123.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$286 COP 998.0K

116.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$230 COP 801.8K

88.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$521 COP 1.8M

295.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$421 COP 1.5M

259.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Tunja: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $286 in Tunja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Tunja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $169 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 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,066 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: $619 in Phuket versus $286 in Tunja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $242 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 $14.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $711 in Tunja versus $1,261 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 78% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.