Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $983 in Quito versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in Quito versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Quito versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Quito costs roughly 22% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quito 28% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.98 $4.98

$4.56 ฿152

9.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.1 $51.1

$32.62 ฿1,086

56.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 $7.35

$8.90 ฿296

-17.42%

Cappuccino

$3.28 $3.28

$2.80 ฿93.4

17.14%

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

$1.42 $1.42

$0.88 ฿29.31

61.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.49 ฿16.29

134.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.39 ฿79.5

48.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.71 ฿124

36.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.79 ฿59.5

-35.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.44 ฿48.00

10.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.58 ฿52.8

-1.27%

Eggs

$2.15 $2.15

$2.13 ฿70.8

0.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$19.92 ฿663

-68.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$3.43 ฿114

64.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.64 $7.64

$11.33 ฿377

-32.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.95 ฿98.2

-24.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.72 ฿57.3

-29.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.32 ฿77.4

-42.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.08 ฿69.3

-45.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.47 ฿48.96

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.36 ฿45.22

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.10 ฿36.59

-16.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.57 ฿19.13

84.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.27 ฿142

37.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 $9.91

$18.42 ฿613

-46.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.87 ฿62.3

-18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.92 ฿97.3

4.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$2.22 ฿73.9

-84.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.21 $21.21

$22.90 ฿762

-7.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.03 ฿101

-50.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.07 ฿35.77

38.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.15 $10.15

$3.93 ฿131

158.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.49 ฿49.68

-42.95%

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

$20.9K $20.9K

$27.1K ฿903.4K

-23.06%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$27.5K ฿914.1K

2.03%

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

$28.70 $28.70

$103 ฿3,423

-72.08%

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

$18.14 $18.14

$10.99 ฿366

65.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.97 $28.97

$17.51 ฿583

65.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.73 $45.73

$53.5 ฿1,783

-14.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.64 $17.64

$11.20 ฿373

57.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 $6.70

$7.48 ฿249

-10.43%

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

$734 $734

$557 ฿18.5K

31.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,986 $8,986

$11.9K ฿394.7K

-24.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 $65.7

$64.1 ฿2,134

2.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.77 $49.77

$29.07 ฿968

71.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$96.0 ฿3,195

19.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$90.3 ฿3,008

18.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 $477

$730 ฿24.3K

-34.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 $310

$500 ฿16.6K

-37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 $958

$2,090 ฿69.6K

-54.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$551 $551

$1,209 ฿40.3K

-54.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,786 $1,786

$3,596 ฿119.7K

-50.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$715 $715

$2,512 ฿83.7K

-71.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$599 $599

$503 ฿16.8K

18.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

5.57

81.69%

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

Last update for Quito: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Quito and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quito pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Quito vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $273, with Quito 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

Quito vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quito is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Quito, 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: $477 in Quito versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $734 in Quito versus $557 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $983 in Quito versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Quito but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Quito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Quito 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, Quito 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 Quito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.