Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan de Pasto and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan de Pasto and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $773 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,085 in San Juan de Pasto versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,398 in San Juan de Pasto versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in San Juan de Pasto costs roughly 39% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Juan de Pasto 42% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.82 COP 8,868

$4.48 ฿150

-37.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.90 COP 37.5K

$45.59 ฿1,521

-73.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.55 COP 20.6K

$8.76 ฿292

-25.23%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,234

$2.97 ฿99.0

-44.11%

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

$0.68 COP 2,142

$0.69 ฿22.90

-1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 COP 1,419

$0.39 ฿13.04

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.18 COP 3,727

$2.53 ฿84.4

-53.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 COP 7,412

$3.75 ฿125

-37.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$2.15 ฿71.6

-50.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,077

$1.82 ฿60.6

-29.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.18 ฿72.9

-48.17%

Eggs

$1.90 COP 5,989

$2.25 ฿75.0

-15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.84 COP 18.4K

$20.00 ฿667

-70.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.26 COP 13.4K

$3.63 ฿121

17.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 COP 23.7K

$13.56 ฿452

-44.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,896

$3.24 ฿108

-52.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,377

$1.64 ฿54.6

-34.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,310

$2.33 ฿77.8

-41.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 COP 2,846

$2.07 ฿69.1

-56.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 3,643

$1.55 ฿51.6

-25.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 COP 3,581

$1.46 ฿48.54

-21.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 COP 2,518

$0.98 ฿32.86

-18.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 COP 2,167

$0.48 ฿16.09

43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.32 COP 7,316

$4.35 ฿145

-46.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 COP 49.5K

$18.57 ฿620

-15.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,414

$1.86 ฿61.9

-41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,464

$2.65 ฿88.6

-34.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 COP 1,798

$1.42 ฿47.28

-59.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.63 COP 96.4K

$11.57 ฿386

164.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 COP 4,737

$3.17 ฿106

-52.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 COP 4,766

$1.03 ฿34.41

46.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 COP 19.0K

$13.89 ฿463

-56.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 COP 2,865

$1.34 ฿44.84

-32.09%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$27.8K ฿927.1K

-36.66%

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

$25.9K COP 81.6M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-22.33%

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

$62.6 COP 197.2K

$123 ฿4,105

-49.11%

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

$7.08 COP 22.3K

$13.77 ฿459

-48.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.03 COP 72.5K

$18.33 ฿611

25.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.08 COP 69.5K

$60.7 ฿2,025

-63.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 12.5K

$8.87 ฿296

-55.13%

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

$238 COP 749.3K

$688 ฿22.9K

-65.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,867 COP 18.5M

$15.8K ฿526.4K

-62.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 COP 188.6K

$59.3 ฿1,978

0.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.18 COP 101.3K

$34.69 ฿1,157

-7.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.7 COP 263.5K

$115 ฿3,843

-27.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 COP 164.9K

$83.8 ฿2,794

-37.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 COP 948.2K

$621 ฿20.7K

-51.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 COP 744.7K

$446 ฿14.9K

-46.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 COP 1.2M

$2,034 ฿67.8K

-81.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 COP 1.0M

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-78.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,913 COP 6.0M

$3,455 ฿115.3K

-44.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,277 COP 4.0M

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-49.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$504 COP 1.6M

$494 ฿16.5K

2.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.18

5.33

147.28%

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

Last update for San Juan de Pasto: July 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $301 in San Juan de Pasto and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Juan de Pasto pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $12.00 in San Juan de Pasto vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $291 per month, with San Juan de Pasto 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

San Juan de Pasto vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan de Pasto is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 2% higher in San Juan de Pasto, 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: $301 in San Juan de Pasto versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $238 in San Juan de Pasto versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $773 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan de Pasto but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan de Pasto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, San Juan de Pasto 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, San Juan de Pasto 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 San Juan de Pasto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.