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: $802 in Salento versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,200 in Salento versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,597 in Salento versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Salento costs roughly 36% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Salento 40% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 COP 13.5K

$4.56 ฿149

-15.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.55 COP 82.2K

$46.63 ฿1,519

-49.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 COP 25.8K

$8.47 ฿276

-12.75%

Cappuccino

$1.50 COP 5,227

$3.03 ฿98.6

-50.50%

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

$0.89 COP 3,093

$0.69 ฿22.45

28.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 COP 1,960

$0.37 ฿11.92

51.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 COP 4,154

$2.49 ฿81.0

-52.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 COP 7,473

$3.66 ฿119

-41.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 3,872

$2.18 ฿71.0

-49.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 COP 4,476

$1.90 ฿62.0

-32.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,941

$2.20 ฿71.6

-48.64%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,639

$2.22 ฿72.4

-1.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 15.7K

$19.99 ฿651

-77.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.15 COP 18.0K

$3.66 ฿119

40.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 COP 25.0K

$13.25 ฿432

-45.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 COP 8,611

$3.23 ฿105

-23.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 COP 3,801

$1.70 ฿55.3

-35.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 COP 4,536

$2.39 ฿78.0

-45.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,835

$2.08 ฿67.7

-47.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,864

$1.59 ฿51.8

-30.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,933

$1.48 ฿48.31

-23.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 COP 2,849

$1.03 ฿33.54

-20.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 COP 2,406

$0.52 ฿16.83

32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 8,183

$4.25 ฿138

-44.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.62 COP 33.6K

$18.79 ฿612

-48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,764

$1.76 ฿57.2

-38.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 COP 6,219

$2.76 ฿89.8

-35.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 COP 2,534

$1.36 ฿44.32

-46.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.72 COP 103.7K

$11.36 ฿370

161.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,016

$3.14 ฿102

-54.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 6,232

$1.04 ฿33.74

72.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 COP 21.1K

$13.77 ฿448

-56.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 COP 3,235

$1.34 ฿43.79

-30.60%

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

$17.7K COP 61.9M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-35.94%

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

$25.2K COP 88.0M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-25.55%

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

$83.2 COP 290.5K

$124 ฿4,025

-32.65%

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

$8.85 COP 30.9K

$13.52 ฿440

-34.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.58 COP 78.8K

$18.69 ฿609

20.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.94 COP 80.1K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-62.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

Cinema Ticket

$3.96 COP 13.8K

$9.14 ฿298

-56.67%

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

$243 COP 846.7K

$703 ฿22.9K

-65.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,075 COP 21.2M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-61.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 COP 206.3K

$59.5 ฿1,937

-0.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 112.4K

$35.07 ฿1,142

-8.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 COP 294.0K

$115 ฿3,754

-26.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 COP 249.2K

$84.1 ฿2,737

-15.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 COP 936.5K

$619 ฿20.1K

-56.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 COP 832.2K

$433 ฿14.1K

-44.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 COP 1.8M

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-74.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$413 COP 1.4M

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-72.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,400 COP 4.9M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-61.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,046 COP 3.7M

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-60.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $268 in Salento and $619 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 $173 vs $293 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 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,203 in Salento and $1,892 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 $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $243 in Salento versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $802 in Salento versus $1,261 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 57% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.