Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,308 in Popayan versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Popayan versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,778 in Popayan versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Popayan is roughly 4% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Popayan 5% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 COP 20.5K

$4.56 ฿151

42.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.39 COP 120.9K

$32.62 ฿1,082

17.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 COP 28.0K

$8.90 ฿295

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,247

$2.80 ฿93.0

5.00%

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

$1.46 COP 4,604

$0.88 ฿29.19

65.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 COP 2,612

$0.49 ฿16.23

69.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 COP 7,333

$2.39 ฿79.2

-2.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 COP 13.1K

$3.71 ฿123

12.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 COP 4,392

$1.79 ฿59.3

-22.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 COP 7,950

$1.44 ฿47.81

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,311

$1.58 ฿52.6

-13.29%

Eggs

$2.93 COP 9,220

$2.13 ฿70.5

37.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 COP 23.3K

$19.92 ฿661

-62.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 COP 34.4K

$3.43 ฿114

218.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 COP 41.2K

$11.33 ฿376

15.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.2K

$2.95 ฿97.8

20.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,828

$1.72 ฿57.1

-11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,157

$2.32 ฿77.1

-15.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,373

$2.08 ฿69.0

-2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 COP 4,537

$1.47 ฿48.77

-2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,058

$1.36 ฿45.05

18.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 COP 3,141

$1.10 ฿36.45

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 COP 3,135

$0.57 ฿19.06

75.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 COP 12.9K

$4.27 ฿142

-3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 COP 48.0K

$18.42 ฿611

-17.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,170

$1.87 ฿62.1

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 COP 8,866

$2.92 ฿96.9

-3.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 COP 3,080

$2.22 ฿73.6

-55.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 COP 5,533

$3.03 ฿101

-41.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 COP 6,535

$1.07 ฿35.63

94.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 COP 27.7K

$3.93 ฿130

124.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,258

$1.49 ฿49.49

-9.40%

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

$22.1K COP 69.6M

$27.1K ฿899.8K

-18.50%

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

$34.8K COP 109.7M

$27.5K ฿910.6K

26.88%

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

$117 COP 368.4K

$103 ฿3,410

13.80%

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

$11.88 COP 37.4K

$10.99 ฿365

8.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 COP 107.2K

$17.51 ฿581

94.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$53.5 ฿1,776

-40.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 COP 21.0K

$7.48 ฿248

-10.70%

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

$676 COP 2.1M

$557 ฿18.5K

21.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,426 COP 20.2M

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-45.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 COP 279.7K

$64.1 ฿2,125

38.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 COP 177.0K

$29.07 ฿964

93.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 COP 418.8K

$96.0 ฿3,183

38.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 308.4K

$90.3 ฿2,997

8.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$708 COP 2.2M

$730 ฿24.2K

-3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 COP 1.4M

$500 ฿16.6K

-11.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 COP 2.9M

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-55.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 COP 2.7M

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-28.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,137 COP 6.7M

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-40.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,654 COP 5.2M

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-34.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

5.57

107.90%

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

Last update for Popayan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $708 in Popayan and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Popayan vs $33.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $273 per month, with Phuket 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

Popayan vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, 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 $1,962 in Popayan and $1,880 in Phuket 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: $708 in Popayan versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $676 in Popayan versus $557 in Phuket. 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 $33.00 versus $38.00 in Popayan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,308 in Popayan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Popayan. 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 Popayan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Popayan and Phuket 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 Popayan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.