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: $890 in Tulcán versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,299 in Tulcán versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,708 in Tulcán versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Tulcán costs roughly 29% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tulcán 33% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 $4.55

$4.55 ฿153

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.22 $15.22

$46.18 ฿1,554

-67.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 $5.06

$8.84 ฿298

-42.76%

Cappuccino

$1.53 $1.53

$3.06 ฿103

-50.00%

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

$0.58 $0.58

$0.73 ฿24.42

-20.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 $0.48

$0.40 ฿13.40

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.43 ฿81.8

-16.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.78 ฿127

3.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.26 ฿76.0

-65.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.81 ฿60.9

-15.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.25 ฿75.8

-51.56%

Eggs

$1.83 $1.83

$2.25 ฿75.6

-18.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 $8.41

$19.51 ฿656

-56.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.72 $7.72

$3.65 ฿123

111.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$13.05 ฿439

-35.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.23 ฿109

-35.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.62 ฿54.4

-25.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.38 ฿80.2

-55.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.03 ฿68.2

-34.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.53 ฿51.6

-9.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.50 ฿50.5

-26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.98 ฿32.93

-17.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.52 ฿17.40

103.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.44 ฿149

37.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.68 $8.68

$18.32 ฿616

-52.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.86 ฿62.7

-13.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.68 ฿90.2

11.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$1.41 ฿47.49

-75.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.56 $23.56

$11.70 ฿394

101.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 $1.52

$3.11 ฿105

-51.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.04 ฿35.08

40.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.19 $10.19

$14.11 ฿475

-27.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.31 ฿44.13

-49.62%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$27.8K ฿936.0K

-29.53%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-23.76%

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

$33.97 $33.97

$122 ฿4,120

-72.26%

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

$14.43 $14.43

$13.59 ฿457

6.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 $28.99

$18.70 ฿629

55.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.34 $30.34

$60.5 ฿2,035

-49.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.86 $14.86

$16.98 ฿572

-12.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.93 $6.93

$9.07 ฿305

-23.59%

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

$79.7 $79.7

$706 ฿23.8K

-88.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,552 $8,552

$15.8K ฿531.8K

-45.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.44 $29.44

$58.6 ฿1,970

-49.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.85 $43.85

$35.36 ฿1,190

24.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 $89.8

$115 ฿3,885

-22.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 $86.8

$83.7 ฿2,818

3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$335 $335

$626 ฿21.1K

-46.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 $314

$445 ฿15.0K

-29.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$631 $631

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-69.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 $497

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-66.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,295 $1,295

$3,483 ฿117.2K

-62.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$700 $700

$2,577 ฿86.7K

-72.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.19

5.33

109.94%

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

Last update for Tulcán: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $335 in Tulcán and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15.00 in Tulcán vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $289 per month, with Tulcán 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

Tulcán vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulcán is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,334 in Tulcán and $1,875 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: $335 in Tulcán versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $79.7 in Tulcán versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $890 in Tulcán versus $1,250 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 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.