Cost of Living Comparison Between Portoviejo and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Portoviejo and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $939 in Portoviejo versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,440 in Portoviejo versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,940 in Portoviejo versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Portoviejo costs roughly 24% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Portoviejo 30% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 $3.43

$4.63 ฿151

-25.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.24 $47.24

$46.84 ฿1,523

0.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 $7.89

$8.84 ฿287

-10.75%

Cappuccino

$2.59 $2.59

$3.00 ฿97.4

-13.67%

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

$0.85 $0.85

$0.74 ฿24.11

14.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 $0.65

$0.37 ฿11.88

75.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.44 ฿79.3

26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.61 ฿117

22.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.26 ฿73.5

-52.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.84 ฿59.8

-4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.24 ฿73.0

-20.98%

Eggs

$2.59 $2.59

$2.32 ฿75.3

11.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$19.67 ฿639

-69.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.65 ฿119

47.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$13.10 ฿426

-52.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$3.39 ฿110

-38.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.64 ฿53.4

-36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.41 ฿78.5

-56.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.03 ฿66.0

-48.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.56 ฿50.6

20.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.50 ฿48.66

-6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.02 ฿33.30

-29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.49 ฿15.91

97.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.45 ฿145

37.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 $11.83

$18.88 ฿614

-37.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.78 ฿57.7

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.75 ฿89.5

-18.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$1.40 ฿45.54

-74.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.26 $24.26

$11.48 ฿373

111.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.12 ฿101

-14.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.00 ฿32.48

-2.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.92 $9.92

$14.09 ฿458

-29.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 $0.65

$1.35 ฿43.93

-51.85%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-9.60%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-10.16%

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

$36.82 $36.82

$125 ฿4,063

-70.54%

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

$13.46 $13.46

$13.57 ฿441

-0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.45 $32.45

$18.52 ฿602

75.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.92 $29.92

$61.5 ฿1,999

-51.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.55 $14.55

$16.84 ฿547

-13.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.59 $7.59

$9.19 ฿299

-17.41%

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

$317 $317

$698 ฿22.7K

-54.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,885 $5,885

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-62.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 $52.4

$57.8 ฿1,878

-9.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.63 $42.63

$35.24 ฿1,146

20.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$113 ฿3,677

-8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$86.4 ฿2,808

30.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 $348

$616 ฿20.0K

-43.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$446 ฿14.5K

-29.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$620 $620

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-69.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 $497

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-66.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,216 $1,216

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-67.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$833 $833

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-68.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$323 $323

$524 ฿17.0K

-38.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.35

5.33

75.42%

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

Last update for Portoviejo: April 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $348 in Portoviejo and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 62% 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: $47.00 in Portoviejo vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $292 per month, with Portoviejo 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

Portoviejo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portoviejo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 62% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $348 in Portoviejo versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $317 in Portoviejo versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $939 in Portoviejo versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Portoviejo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Portoviejo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Portoviejo 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, Portoviejo 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 Portoviejo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.