Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ventanas

For one person, living is cheaper in Ventanas: $860 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Ventanas, Ecuador
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Ventanas
🇪🇨 Ecuador
$860
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ventanas

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 Ventanas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $860 in Ventanas.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Ventanas $860

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,437 in Ventanas.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Ventanas $1,437

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $2,014 in Ventanas.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Ventanas $2,014

Living in Phuket is roughly 49% more expensive than in Ventanas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ventanas 37% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Ventanas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$4.05 $4.05
10.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$52.5 $52.5
-38.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$9.12 $9.12
-3.40%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$2.88 $2.88
-1.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$0.88 $0.88
-1.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.72 $0.72
-31.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$3.06 $3.06
-16.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$4.33 $4.33
-15.01%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Ventanas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.20 $1.20
38.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$2.01 $2.01
-27.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.41 $1.41
6.38%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$2.05 $2.05
1.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$7.08 $7.08
169.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$5.01 $5.01
-34.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$9.03 $9.03
20.82%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$1.53 $1.53
91.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.20 $1.20
40.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$0.97 $0.97
131.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$0.98 $0.98
112.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.22 $1.22
23.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$0.90 $0.90
53.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.87 $0.87
22.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$1.01 $1.01
-48.51%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$6.15 $6.15
-31.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$11.81 $11.81
59.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.56 $1.56
16.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$2.20 $2.20
29.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Ventanas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$0.37 $0.37
291.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$2.79 $2.79
8.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.71 $1.71
-40.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$11.89 $11.89
-68.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$0.83 $0.83
77.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$23.3K $23.3K
14.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$30.9K $30.9K
-13.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Ventanas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$33.71 $33.71
185.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$14.96 $14.96
-24.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$25.70 $25.70
-34.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Ventanas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$33.45 $33.45
100.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$15.48 $15.48
-30.68%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$7.52 $7.52
-0.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Ventanas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$367 $367
29.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$5,718 $5,718
96.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Ventanas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$66.1 $66.1
-5.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$40.26 $40.26
-29.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$126 $126
-25.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$90.7 $90.7
-5.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Ventanas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$368 $368
94.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$254 $254
93.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$696 $696
176.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$513 $513
178.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Ventanas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.05
-44.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ventanas: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Ventanas
$254 48.3% $237
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Ventanas
$200 24.9% $66
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Ventanas
$74 40.3% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Ventanas
$145 19.3% $24
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Ventanas
$125 2.5% $3
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Ventanas
$49 41% $34
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Ventanas
$13 * 81.9% $58

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 $716 in Phuket and $368 in Ventanas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $53 in Ventanas. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $200, with Ventanas cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇪🇨 Ventanas
🕒 Local time
23:45 11:45 PM
11:45 11:45 AM
12 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
38,168
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Ventanas 19,260 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Ventanas

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 Ventanas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ventanas cheaper than Phuket?
Ventanas is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,290 in Ventanas 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.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Ventanas?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $368 in Ventanas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $367 in Ventanas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Phuket or in Ventanas?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $53 in Ventanas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Ventanas?
At $860 in Ventanas versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ventanas but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ventanas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Ventanas?
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.

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