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: $910 in Portoviejo versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,453 in Portoviejo versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,995 in Portoviejo versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Portoviejo costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Portoviejo 32% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.41 $3.41

$4.48 ฿150

-23.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 $47.76

$45.59 ฿1,521

4.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$8.76 ฿292

-10.84%

Cappuccino

$2.60 $2.60

$2.97 ฿99.0

-12.46%

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

$0.91 $0.91

$0.69 ฿22.90

31.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 $0.61

$0.39 ฿13.04

56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.53 ฿84.4

16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.75 ฿125

20.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.15 ฿71.6

-46.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.82 ฿60.6

-7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.18 ฿72.9

-19.27%

Eggs

$2.52 $2.52

$2.25 ฿75.0

12.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$20.00 ฿667

-70.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$3.63 ฿121

43.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$13.56 ฿452

-53.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.24 ฿108

-33.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.64 ฿54.6

-32.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.33 ฿77.8

-53.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.07 ฿69.1

-49.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.55 ฿51.6

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.46 ฿48.54

-2.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 $0.73

$0.98 ฿32.86

-25.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.48 ฿16.09

112.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 $5.88

$4.35 ฿145

35.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.93 $11.93

$18.57 ฿620

-35.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.86 ฿61.9

-16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.65 ฿88.6

-18.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$1.42 ฿47.28

-76.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.07 $24.07

$11.57 ฿386

108.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.17 ฿106

-15.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.03 ฿34.41

-1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.84 $9.84

$13.89 ฿463

-29.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.34 ฿44.84

-49.25%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-10.07%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-13.60%

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

$37.56 $37.56

$123 ฿4,105

-69.48%

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

$13.58 $13.58

$13.77 ฿459

-1.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.46 $31.46

$18.33 ฿611

71.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.73 $29.73

$60.7 ฿2,025

-51.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.39 $14.39

$17.16 ฿573

-16.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 $7.96

$8.87 ฿296

-10.26%

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

$313 $313

$688 ฿22.9K

-54.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,897 $5,897

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-62.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$59.3 ฿1,978

-11.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.79 $43.79

$34.69 ฿1,157

26.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$115 ฿3,843

-9.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$83.8 ฿2,794

35.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$339 $339

$621 ฿20.7K

-45.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 $318

$446 ฿14.9K

-28.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$617 $617

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-69.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 $503

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-66.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,174 $1,174

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-66.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$787 $787

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-68.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$321 $321

$494 ฿16.5K

-34.92%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $339 in Portoviejo and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 54% 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: $48.00 in Portoviejo vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $291, with Portoviejo cheaper for home cooking.

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 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Phuket. 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: $339 in Portoviejo versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $313 in Portoviejo versus $688 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 $910 in Portoviejo versus $1,264 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 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.