Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quesada and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,664 in Quesada, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Quesada
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Quesada Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Quesada

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,664

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quesada and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Quesada and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,664 in Quesada versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Quesada $1,664
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,649 in Quesada versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Quesada $2,649
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,633 in Quesada versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Quesada $3,633
Phuket $3,154

Living in Quesada is roughly 30% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quesada is 22% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.03 ₡5,431

$4.47 ฿151

169.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 ₡27.7K

$32.41 ฿1,093

89.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 ₡5,350

$8.81 ฿297

34.51%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,961

$2.83 ฿95.4

53.36%

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

$2.76 ₡1,247

$0.87 ฿29.40

217.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₡839

$0.49 ฿16.65

279.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,478

$2.56 ฿86.3

27.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 ₡1,073

$3.68 ฿124

-35.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₡1,047

$1.66 ฿55.9

39.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 ₡1,286

$1.46 ฿49.29

95.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,122

$1.50 ฿50.5

66.00%

Eggs

$2.65 ₡1,197

$2.09 ฿70.5

26.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 ₡4,795

$19.07 ฿643

-44.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 ₡4,736

$3.30 ฿111

217.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.83 ₡6,245

$10.91 ฿368

26.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.28 ₡2,383

$2.93 ฿98.8

80.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡721

$1.69 ฿57.0

-5.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 ₡505

$2.25 ฿75.7

-50.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 ₡1,801

$2.08 ฿70.0

91.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ₡1,740

$1.51 ฿51.0

155.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,625

$1.38 ฿46.51

160.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡505

$1.07 ฿35.95

4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₡1,442

$0.52 ฿17.50

513.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 ₡2,610

$4.20 ฿142

37.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 ₡6,883

$18.79 ฿634

-18.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,307

$1.82 ฿61.4

58.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ₡1,678

$2.84 ฿95.8

30.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ₡642

$1.45 ฿48.97

-2.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ₡713

$3.02 ฿102

-47.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡709

$1.02 ฿34.32

53.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.77 ₡3,960

$3.69 ฿124

137.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡700

$1.47 ฿49.75

5.44%

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

$34.4K ₡15.5M

$26.8K ฿903.2K

28.60%

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

$41.3K ₡18.6M

$26.7K ฿900.3K

54.61%

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

$94.6 ₡42.7K

$96.4 ฿3,250

-1.79%

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

$30.47 ₡13.8K

$11.26 ฿380

170.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 ₡24.8K

$16.85 ฿568

225.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.7 ₡31.0K

$67.2 ฿2,268

2.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.49 ₡7,443

$10.73 ฿362

53.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.39 ₡2,435

$7.50 ฿253

-28.13%

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

$254 ₡114.7K

$476 ฿16.1K

-46.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,200 ₡1.9M

$11.3K ฿379.9K

-62.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 ₡31.7K

$62.4 ฿2,103

12.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.8K

$28.41 ฿958

93.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.0K

$94.3 ฿3,180

36.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ₡49.9K

$85.8 ฿2,894

28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$815 ₡368.0K

$716 ฿24.1K

13.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 ₡284.3K

$491 ฿16.6K

28.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 ₡862.8K

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-0.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 ₡567.4K

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-12.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,200 ₡1.9M

$4,175 ฿140.8K

0.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,197 ₡991.9K

$3,045 ฿102.7K

-27.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.57

54.76%

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

Last update for Quesada: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quesada

$630 37.8%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 22.1% $139

Groceries & Markets

Quesada

$372 22.4%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 28.5% $106

Eating Out

Quesada

$224 13.4%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 45.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quesada

$180 10.8%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 30.8% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Quesada

$164 9.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 25.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Quesada

$80 4.8%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 3.4% $2.7

Getting Around

Quesada

$15 * 0.9%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 367% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $815 in Quesada and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Quesada vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $266 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Quesada

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

21:35 9:35 PM

10:35 10:35 AM

13 h ahead of Quesada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,000

79,308

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Quesada Phuket 17,970 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Quesada
Phuket

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

Quesada vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,496 in Quesada and $1,917 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: $815 in Quesada versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $254 in Quesada versus $476 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 $32 versus $61 in Quesada. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,664 in Quesada, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Quesada. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Quesada and Phuket are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.