Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salento and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Salento: $797 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Salento
Learn more

Salento Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Salento

🇨🇴 Colombia

$797

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salento 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 Salento and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $797 in Salento versus $1,294 in Phuket.

Salento $797
Phuket $1,294

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,212 in Salento versus $2,204 in Phuket.

Salento $1,212
Phuket $2,204

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,627 in Salento versus $3,115 in Phuket.

Salento $1,627
Phuket $3,115

Living in Salento costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Salento 41% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 COP 12.5K

$4.39 ฿148

-12.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.41 COP 75.9K

$32.31 ฿1,090

-27.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 COP 24.2K

$8.70 ฿294

-14.37%

Cappuccino

$1.56 COP 5,071

$2.72 ฿91.9

-42.65%

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

$0.93 COP 3,013

$0.93 ฿31.38

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 COP 1,855

$0.50 ฿16.85

14.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.14 COP 3,698

$2.53 ฿85.4

-54.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 COP 6,952

$3.63 ฿122

-41.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 3,599

$1.74 ฿58.7

-36.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,231

$1.45 ฿48.93

-10.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 COP 3,708

$1.50 ฿50.7

-24.00%

Eggs

$2.14 COP 6,946

$2.17 ฿73.3

-1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.56 COP 14.8K

$19.09 ฿644

-76.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 COP 17.6K

$3.40 ฿115

59.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.42 COP 24.1K

$10.90 ฿368

-31.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 COP 7,992

$2.94 ฿99.2

-16.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 COP 3,533

$1.69 ฿57.1

-35.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 COP 4,228

$2.19 ฿74.0

-40.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,588

$2.12 ฿71.6

-47.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,731

$1.46 ฿49.19

-21.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,681

$1.37 ฿46.14

-17.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 COP 2,830

$1.08 ฿36.29

-19.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 COP 2,095

$0.55 ฿18.40

18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 7,621

$4.43 ฿149

-46.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 COP 30.3K

$18.25 ฿616

-48.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,511

$1.77 ฿59.8

-38.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,630

$2.88 ฿97.2

-39.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,234

$1.45 ฿48.82

-52.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.71 COP 96.4K

$54.9 ฿1,851

-45.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 COP 4,802

$1.51 ฿51.0

-1.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 COP 5,516

$0.78 ฿26.17

117.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.08 COP 19.7K

$3.84 ฿129

58.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 COP 3,098

$1.49 ฿50.2

-35.57%

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

$17.7K COP 57.5M

$26.9K ฿906.7K

-34.02%

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

$25.0K COP 81.2M

$26.3K ฿888.6K

-4.93%

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

$83.6 COP 271.0K

$97.8 ฿3,299

-14.57%

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

$8.89 COP 28.8K

$11.29 ฿381

-21.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.56 COP 73.2K

$17.19 ฿580

31.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.36 COP 75.8K

$68.3 ฿2,305

-65.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 COP 13.1K

$7.43 ฿251

-45.63%

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

$242 COP 786.0K

$530 ฿17.9K

-54.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,913 COP 19.2M

$18.8K ฿633.5K

-68.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 COP 187.5K

$61.7 ฿2,080

-6.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.60 COP 105.7K

$28.25 ฿953

15.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 COP 274.2K

$96.0 ฿3,238

-11.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 COP 239.1K

$86.8 ฿2,928

-15.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 COP 888.6K

$721 ฿24.3K

-62.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 COP 758.3K

$509 ฿17.2K

-54.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$525 COP 1.7M

$1,950 ฿65.8K

-73.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 COP 1.4M

$1,397 ฿47.1K

-70.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,417 COP 4.6M

$4,192 ฿141.4K

-66.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 COP 3.5M

$3,298 ฿111.3K

-67.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

5.57

134.47%

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

Last update for Salento: October 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salento

$234 29.3%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 118% $275

Groceries & Markets

Salento

$175 21.9%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 52.9% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salento

$115 14.4%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 9.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Salento

$112 14%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 9.7% $11

Eating Out

Salento

$88 11%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 35.9% $32

Getting Around

Salento

$42 5.3%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 55.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Salento

$31 4%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 165% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Salento and $721 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Salento vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $267 per month, with Salento cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Salento

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

13:42 1:42 PM

12 h ahead of Salento

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,748

79,308

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Salento Phuket 18,470 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Salento
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

Salento vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salento is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,196 in Salento and $1,940 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: $274 in Salento versus $721 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $242 in Salento versus $530 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $797 in Salento versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

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

Expats usually find Salento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.