Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunja and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunja and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,333 in Tunja versus $1,277 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,026 in Tunja versus $2,108 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,720 in Tunja versus $2,940 in Phuket.

Living in Tunja is roughly 4% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tunja 2% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 24.8K

$4.62 ฿153

71.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.53 COP 126.8K

$34.40 ฿1,138

17.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 COP 29.8K

$8.56 ฿283

11.21%

Cappuccino

$2.51 COP 7,866

$2.97 ฿98.4

-15.49%

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

$1.30 COP 4,082

$0.82 ฿27.10

58.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 COP 2,529

$0.44 ฿14.55

84.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 COP 5,972

$2.46 ฿81.3

-22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 COP 12.0K

$3.78 ฿125

1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 COP 5,049

$1.86 ฿61.7

-13.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 COP 7,324

$1.47 ฿48.64

59.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,098

$1.56 ฿51.6

4.49%

Eggs

$3.78 COP 11.8K

$2.20 ฿72.7

71.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.03 COP 22.0K

$19.59 ฿648

-64.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.31 COP 22.9K

$3.50 ฿116

108.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 COP 33.8K

$11.23 ฿372

-3.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 COP 10.6K

$2.93 ฿97.2

16.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,354

$1.72 ฿56.9

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 COP 5,988

$2.27 ฿75.1

-15.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 COP 5,598

$2.12 ฿70.2

-15.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,417

$1.54 ฿50.8

-8.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.40 ฿46.24

-3.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 COP 4,142

$1.10 ฿36.36

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 COP 3,319

$0.57 ฿18.88

85.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 COP 13.9K

$4.47 ฿148

-0.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 COP 40.3K

$18.89 ฿625

-31.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 COP 4,242

$1.88 ฿62.2

-27.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 COP 9,305

$2.84 ฿94.0

4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 COP 3,414

$2.33 ฿77.3

-53.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.38 ฿774

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 COP 3,121

$2.94 ฿97.4

-65.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 COP 7,394

$1.03 ฿34.17

129.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.7K

$3.78 ฿125

125.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,016

$1.45 ฿47.97

-11.72%

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

$22.3K COP 69.9M

$26.8K ฿888.5K

-16.81%

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

$36.1K COP 112.8M

$27.4K ฿906.1K

31.74%

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

$128 COP 401.9K

$105 ฿3,477

22.26%

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

$16.40 COP 51.3K

$11.01 ฿364

48.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 COP 97.8K

$17.81 ฿590

75.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.96 COP 103.1K

$53.6 ฿1,775

-38.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.23 ฿372

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 COP 24.9K

$7.80 ฿258

2.05%

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

$472 COP 1.5M

$565 ฿18.7K

-16.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,540 COP 20.5M

$11.5K ฿379.7K

-42.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 COP 248.1K

$63.1 ฿2,090

25.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 COP 157.3K

$29.09 ฿963

72.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 433.1K

$99.2 ฿3,285

39.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 COP 351.5K

$91.2 ฿3,017

23.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 COP 2.1M

$738 ฿24.4K

-11.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 COP 1.5M

$500 ฿16.5K

-1.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 COP 3.1M

$2,093 ฿69.3K

-51.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 COP 2.9M

$1,249 ฿41.3K

-25.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,032 COP 6.4M

$3,530 ฿116.9K

-42.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,561 COP 4.9M

$2,542 ฿84.1K

-38.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 ฿16.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.71

5.57

128.19%

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

Last update for Tunja: August 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Tunja and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Tunja vs $34.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $274, with Tunja 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

Tunja vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,999 in Tunja and $1,915 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: $657 in Tunja versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $472 in Tunja versus $565 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $41.00 in Tunja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,277 in Phuket versus $1,333 in Tunja, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Tunja. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Tunja, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Tunja 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Tunja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.