Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Ayora and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Ayora and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $917 in Puerto Ayora versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,415 in Puerto Ayora versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Puerto Ayora versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Puerto Ayora costs roughly 26% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Ayora 31% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.43 $4.43

$4.63 ฿151

-4.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.11 $40.11

$46.84 ฿1,523

-14.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 $7.11

$8.84 ฿287

-19.57%

Cappuccino

$2.84 $2.84

$3.00 ฿97.4

-5.33%

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

$1.37 $1.37

$0.74 ฿24.11

85.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.37 ฿11.88

167.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.44 ฿79.3

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.61 ฿117

13.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.26 ฿73.5

-51.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.84 ฿59.8

-8.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.24 ฿73.0

-26.79%

Eggs

$3.74 $3.74

$2.32 ฿75.3

61.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$19.67 ฿639

-81.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.65 ฿119

54.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$13.10 ฿426

-22.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.39 ฿110

-12.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.64 ฿53.4

-29.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.41 ฿78.5

-40.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.03 ฿66.0

-48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.56 ฿50.6

-18.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.50 ฿48.66

17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.02 ฿33.30

-31.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.49 ฿15.91

116.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$4.45 ฿145

31.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 $8.90

$18.88 ฿614

-52.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.78 ฿57.7

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.75 ฿89.5

0.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$1.40 ฿45.54

-74.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.18 $24.18

$11.48 ฿373

110.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 $1.28

$3.12 ฿101

-58.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.00 ฿32.48

46.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$14.09 ฿458

-28.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.35 ฿43.93

-52.59%

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

$20.1K $20.1K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-25.91%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-14.03%

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

$36.79 $36.79

$125 ฿4,063

-70.56%

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

$13.88 $13.88

$13.57 ฿441

2.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.85 $30.85

$18.52 ฿602

66.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.49 $30.49

$61.5 ฿1,999

-50.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.86 $14.86

$16.84 ฿547

-11.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.05 $7.05

$9.19 ฿299

-23.29%

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

$254 $254

$698 ฿22.7K

-63.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,589 $5,589

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-64.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 $55.4

$57.8 ฿1,878

-4.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.80 $43.80

$35.24 ฿1,146

24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 $96.0

$113 ฿3,677

-15.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 $64.9

$86.4 ฿2,808

-24.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 $342

$616 ฿20.0K

-44.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 $324

$446 ฿14.5K

-27.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 $619

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-69.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 $498

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-66.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,356 $1,356

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-64.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$869 $869

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-67.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$795 $795

$524 ฿17.0K

51.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.6

5.33

98.87%

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

Last update for Puerto Ayora: April 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $342 in Puerto Ayora and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Ayora pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Puerto Ayora vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $205 vs $292 per month, with Puerto Ayora 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

Puerto Ayora vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Ayora is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Puerto Ayora pays 52% more on average, 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: $342 in Puerto Ayora versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $254 in Puerto Ayora 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 42% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $917 in Puerto Ayora versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Ayora but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Ayora the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Puerto Ayora 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, Puerto Ayora 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 Puerto Ayora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.