Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulcán and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulcán and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $827 in Tulcán versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,400 in Tulcán versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,973 in Tulcán versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Tulcán costs roughly 33% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulcán 40% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.47 $5.47

$4.41 ฿147

24.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.4 $54.4

$32.26 ฿1,077

68.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 $7.80

$8.93 ฿298

-12.65%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$2.90 ฿96.6

17.93%

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

$1.41 $1.41

$0.88 ฿29.38

60.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.48 ฿16.06

125.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.35 ฿78.5

51.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.72 ฿124

44.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.87 ฿62.3

-41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.47 ฿48.94

8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.55 ฿51.8

1.29%

Eggs

$2.11 $2.11

$2.10 ฿70.1

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$19.59 ฿654

-67.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$3.42 ฿114

60.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 $7.51

$11.38 ฿380

-34.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.98 ฿99.6

-21.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.68 ฿56.2

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$2.21 ฿73.7

-39.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.16 ฿72.1

-48.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.52 ฿50.9

-19.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.34 ฿44.67

-23.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.13 ฿37.67

-19.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.55 ฿18.24

90.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.26 ฿142

42.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 $10.16

$19.09 ฿637

-46.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.78 ฿59.4

-15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.78 ฿92.9

10.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$2.23 ฿74.4

-86.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.54 $15.54

$22.74 ฿759

-31.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.03 ฿101

-49.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.02 ฿34.15

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.90 $9.90

$3.89 ฿130

154.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.49 ฿49.77

-45.64%

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

$20.6K $20.6K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-22.44%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

3.57%

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

$29.09 $29.09

$102 ฿3,420

-71.61%

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

$17.76 $17.76

$11.33 ฿378

56.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.00 $28.00

$17.40 ฿581

60.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.57 $33.57

$52.1 ฿1,738

-35.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.26 $14.26

$11.07 ฿370

28.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 $6.71

$7.69 ฿257

-12.74%

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

$218 $218

$561 ฿18.7K

-61.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,848 $8,848

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-23.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 $63.5

$63.0 ฿2,104

0.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.48 $49.48

$29.52 ฿986

67.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$98.0 ฿3,272

15.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$88.5 ฿2,954

20.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$345 $345

$738 ฿24.6K

-53.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 $193

$482 ฿16.1K

-60.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$649 $649

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-69.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$380 $380

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-68.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,309 $1,309

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-63.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$828 $828

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-68.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

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 Tulcán: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $345 in Tulcán and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Tulcán vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $274, with Tulcán 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

Tulcán vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulcán is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,240 in Tulcán 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: $345 in Tulcán versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $218 in Tulcán versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $827 in Tulcán versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tulcán but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Tulcán the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tulcán 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, Tulcán 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 Tulcán gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.