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: $1,315 in Tunja versus $1,224 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,022 in Tunja versus $2,035 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,729 in Tunja versus $2,846 in Phuket.

Living in Tunja is roughly 7% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tunja 2% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 COP 18.8K

$4.53 ฿151

26.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.70 COP 107.7K

$32.04 ฿1,069

2.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 COP 31.2K

$8.73 ฿291

8.59%

Cappuccino

$2.21 COP 7,278

$2.80 ฿93.6

-21.07%

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

$1.41 COP 4,635

$0.83 ฿27.71

69.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 COP 3,515

$0.46 ฿15.25

132.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 5,638

$2.43 ฿81.1

-29.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 COP 8,701

$3.83 ฿128

-31.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 5,028

$1.79 ฿59.7

-14.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 COP 4,913

$1.46 ฿48.78

2.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 COP 5,788

$1.52 ฿50.7

15.79%

Eggs

$3.30 COP 10.9K

$2.13 ฿71.0

54.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 COP 27.2K

$19.41 ฿648

-57.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.71 COP 48.5K

$3.38 ฿113

335.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 COP 58.9K

$11.08 ฿370

61.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.7K

$2.97 ฿99.0

19.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 COP 4,744

$1.66 ฿55.3

-13.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 COP 7,219

$2.26 ฿75.4

-3.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 COP 5,979

$2.18 ฿72.8

-16.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 COP 4,759

$1.52 ฿50.6

-5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,920

$1.34 ฿44.61

11.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 COP 3,089

$1.12 ฿37.51

-16.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 3,104

$0.55 ฿18.24

70.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 COP 14.7K

$4.47 ฿149

-0.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 COP 42.6K

$18.79 ฿627

-31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 COP 4,790

$1.78 ฿59.3

-18.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 COP 5,517

$2.83 ฿94.5

-40.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 COP 3,709

$2.33 ฿77.6

-51.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.09 ฿771

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.98 COP 3,239

$3.03 ฿101

-67.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,750

$1.03 ฿34.34

99.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 COP 25.8K

$3.84 ฿128

103.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 COP 4,353

$1.45 ฿48.28

-8.97%

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

$27.5K COP 90.4M

$27.4K ฿915.3K

0.11%

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

$33.7K COP 111.0M

$27.3K ฿912.3K

23.31%

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

$180 COP 593.5K

$101 ฿3,378

77.98%

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

$10.94 COP 36.0K

$11.07 ฿369

-1.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.31 COP 86.6K

$17.06 ฿569

54.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.98 COP 121.8K

$53.3 ฿1,778

-30.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.88 ฿363

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 COP 21.4K

$7.56 ฿252

-13.89%

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

$641 COP 2.1M

$552 ฿18.4K

16.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,693 COP 22.0M

$11.5K ฿384.3K

-41.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 COP 175.3K

$63.2 ฿2,108

-15.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 COP 188.5K

$28.58 ฿954

100.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 COP 410.9K

$97.5 ฿3,253

27.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.0 COP 322.9K

$87.7 ฿2,926

11.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 COP 2.3M

$736 ฿24.6K

-5.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$472 COP 1.6M

$480 ฿16.0K

-1.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 COP 3.4M

$2,065 ฿68.9K

-49.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$985 COP 3.2M

$1,234 ฿41.2K

-20.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,991 COP 6.6M

$3,556 ฿118.7K

-44.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,704 COP 5.6M

$2,534 ฿84.6K

-32.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

5.57

122.62%

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

Last update for Tunja: September 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $698 in Tunja and $736 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Tunja vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $271 per month, with Phuket 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

Tunja vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,972 in Tunja and $1,836 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: $698 in Tunja versus $736 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $641 in Tunja versus $552 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 $32.00 versus $33.00 in Tunja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,224 in Phuket versus $1,315 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 7% less than in Tunja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.