Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vilcabamba

For one person, living is cheaper in Vilcabamba: $973 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Vilcabamba
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Vilcabamba Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Vilcabamba

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$973

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Vilcabamba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Phuket versus $973 in Vilcabamba.

Phuket $1,190
Vilcabamba $973

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Phuket versus $1,431 in Vilcabamba.

Phuket $2,006
Vilcabamba $1,431

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Phuket versus $1,889 in Vilcabamba.

Phuket $2,822
Vilcabamba $1,889

Living in Phuket is roughly 22% more expensive than in Vilcabamba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Vilcabamba 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$3.40 $3.40

27.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$29.83 $29.83

8.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$7.79 $7.79

8.09%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$2.11 $2.11

33.18%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.02 $1.02

-14.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$1.03 $1.03

-55.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.02 $2.02

28.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$3.41 $3.41

6.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.04 $1.04

64.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.60 $1.60

-9.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.55 $1.55

0.65%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$2.61 $2.61

-19.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$8.33 $8.33

134.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$5.28 $5.28

-35.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$7.31 $7.31

52.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$1.70 $1.70

66.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.07 $1.07

51.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$1.15 $1.15

93.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$1.13 $1.13

90.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$0.99 $0.99

50.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$1.08 $1.08

23.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$0.69 $0.69

55.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$0.97 $0.97

-47.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$5.30 $5.30

-17.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$11.18 $11.18

67.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.63 $1.63

6.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.73 $2.73

1.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$0.36 $0.36

502.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$17.70 $17.70

25.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$1.33 $1.33

127.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$1.08 $1.08

-1.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$9.99 $9.99

-62.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$0.69 $0.69

107.25%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$20.6K $20.6K

27.86%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$29.5K $29.5K

-11.10%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$36.96 $36.96

161.53%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$13.21 $13.21

-13.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$35.35 $35.35

-51.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$29.52 $29.52

78.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$16.30 $16.30

-32.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$6.96 $6.96

9.91%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$218 $218

154.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$6,039 $6,039

86.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$54.2 $54.2

16.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$42.22 $42.22

-32.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$100.0 $100.0

-3.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$69.4 $69.4

27.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$376 $376

95.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$389 $389

17.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$622 $622

237.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$579 $579

104.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$1,212 $1,212

188.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$764 $764

226.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$457 $457

9.60%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Vilcabamba

$389 40.4% 15.2% $69

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Vilcabamba

$197 20.5% 26.5% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Vilcabamba

$86 8.9% 31.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Vilcabamba

$120 12.4% 4.2% $5.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Vilcabamba

$101 10.5% 15.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Vilcabamba

$43 4.5% 36.2% $25

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Vilcabamba

$26 2.7% 34.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Phuket and $376 in Vilcabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Vilcabamba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $197 per month, with Vilcabamba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇪🇨 Vilcabamba

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

03:30 3:30 AM

12 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Between locations

Phuket Vilcabamba 19,530 km ≈ 25 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Vilcabamba

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 Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vilcabamba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $735 in Phuket versus $376 in Vilcabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $555 in Phuket versus $218 in Vilcabamba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $973 in Vilcabamba versus $1,190 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vilcabamba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vilcabamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vilcabamba 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 Vilcabamba 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 Vilcabamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.