Cost of Living Comparison Between Salento and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Salento and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Salento versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,207 in Salento versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,601 in Salento versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Salento costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Salento 39% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.99 COP 14.5K

$4.63 ฿151

-13.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.54 COP 85.6K

$46.84 ฿1,523

-49.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 COP 26.9K

$8.84 ฿287

-16.29%

Cappuccino

$1.55 COP 5,639

$3.00 ฿97.4

-48.33%

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

$0.93 COP 3,373

$0.74 ฿24.11

25.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 COP 2,196

$0.37 ฿11.88

62.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 COP 4,213

$2.44 ฿79.3

-52.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 COP 7,992

$3.61 ฿117

-39.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,854

$2.26 ฿73.5

-53.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 COP 4,524

$1.84 ฿59.8

-32.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,267

$2.24 ฿73.0

-47.77%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 8,030

$2.32 ฿75.3

-4.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.56 COP 16.6K

$19.67 ฿639

-76.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 COP 19.1K

$3.65 ฿119

43.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.24 COP 26.3K

$13.10 ฿426

-44.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 COP 9,171

$3.39 ฿110

-25.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 COP 3,816

$1.64 ฿53.4

-35.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 COP 4,773

$2.41 ฿78.5

-45.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 COP 4,006

$2.03 ฿66.0

-45.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,070

$1.56 ฿50.6

-28.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,110

$1.50 ฿48.66

-24.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 COP 2,917

$1.02 ฿33.30

-21.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 COP 2,365

$0.49 ฿15.91

32.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,469

$4.45 ฿145

-47.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.45 COP 34.4K

$18.88 ฿614

-49.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 COP 3,997

$1.78 ฿57.7

-38.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 6,402

$2.75 ฿89.5

-36.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 COP 2,421

$1.40 ฿45.54

-52.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.19 COP 109.8K

$11.48 ฿373

162.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,225

$3.12 ฿101

-53.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 6,521

$1.00 ฿32.48

79.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 COP 22.6K

$14.09 ฿458

-55.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 COP 3,636

$1.35 ฿43.93

-25.93%

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

$17.8K COP 64.7M

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-34.51%

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

$25.8K COP 94.0M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-21.49%

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

$82.4 COP 299.7K

$125 ฿4,063

-34.07%

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

$9.12 COP 33.2K

$13.57 ฿441

-32.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.47 COP 81.7K

$18.52 ฿602

21.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.24 COP 84.5K

$61.5 ฿1,999

-62.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

Cinema Ticket

$4.00 COP 14.5K

$9.19 ฿299

-56.47%

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

$240 COP 873.9K

$698 ฿22.7K

-65.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,005 COP 21.8M

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-61.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 217.2K

$57.8 ฿1,878

3.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.39 COP 117.8K

$35.24 ฿1,146

-8.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 COP 299.5K

$113 ฿3,677

-27.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 COP 260.1K

$86.4 ฿2,808

-17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 COP 973.2K

$616 ฿20.0K

-56.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 COP 870.8K

$446 ฿14.5K

-46.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 COP 1.9M

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-74.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 COP 1.5M

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-71.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,435 COP 5.2M

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-62.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,064 COP 3.9M

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-59.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

5.33

145.03%

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

Last update for Salento: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $268 in Salento and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Salento vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $292 per month, with Salento 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

Salento vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salento is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,219 in Salento and $1,847 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: $268 in Salento versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $240 in Salento 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 69% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $813 in Salento versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salento but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Salento the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Salento 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, Salento 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 Salento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.