Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelos and Phuket

For one person, living costs are similar in Barcelos and in Phuket: $1,190 and $1,207 a month, rent and utilities included.

Barcelos
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,190
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barcelos and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barcelos and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Barcelos versus $1,207 in Phuket.

  • Barcelos $1,190
  • Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,885 in Barcelos versus $2,037 in Phuket.

  • Barcelos $1,885
  • Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,579 in Barcelos versus $2,867 in Phuket.

  • Barcelos $2,579
  • Phuket $2,867

Living in Barcelos costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Barcelos 12% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barcelos
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.09 €9.86
$4.58 ฿153
142.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.16 €42.84
$32.48 ฿1,086
48.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.85 €7.87
$8.55 ฿286
3.51%
Cappuccino
$1.84 €1.63
$2.72 ฿91.0
-32.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 €1.72
$0.94 ฿31.25
105.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 €1.18
$0.49 ฿16.39
169.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.37 €3.00
$2.59 ฿86.6
30.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 €2.52
$3.83 ฿128
-25.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barcelos
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 €0.99
$1.74 ฿58.1
-36.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.43 ฿47.82
29.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.79 €1.59
$1.53 ฿51.0
16.99%
Eggs
$3.30 €2.94
$2.17 ฿72.7
52.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.93 €10.61
$19.15 ฿640
-37.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.15
$3.30 ฿110
143.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.83 €13.19
$11.14 ฿372
33.12%
Apples (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$2.95 ฿98.5
-32.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.68 ฿56.1
-18.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$2.30 ฿76.8
-19.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.52 €2.25
$2.13 ฿71.3
18.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 €1.53
$1.53 ฿51.1
12.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.84 €1.63
$1.36 ฿45.55
35.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.12 ฿37.44
37.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 €0.87
$0.55 ฿18.24
76.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.84
$4.26 ฿142
53.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.58 €4.08
$18.19 ฿608
-74.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 €1.05
$1.74 ฿58.2
-31.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 €1.95
$2.79 ฿93.3
-21.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Barcelos
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 €2.03
$2.22 ฿74.1
3.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.15 €19.70
$22.06 ฿737
0.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.27 €3.80
$2.91 ฿97.3
46.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 €1.27
$1.01 ฿33.79
41.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.25 €14.46
$3.83 ฿128
324.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.49 ฿49.85
44.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K €29.5K
$26.7K ฿891.6K
24.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K €33.7K
$26.7K ฿892.7K
41.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelos
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$111 €98.8
$99.4 ฿3,321
11.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.73 €15.77
$11.28 ฿377
57.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.28 €39.39
$17.36 ฿580
155.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barcelos
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.52 €34.27
$52.3 ฿1,747
-26.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.57 €5.84
$10.85 ฿362
-39.45%
Cinema Ticket
$9.12 €8.11
$7.57 ฿253
20.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barcelos
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$339 €302
$558 ฿18.7K
-39.21%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,374 €5,670
$11.5K ฿383.9K
-44.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barcelos
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.5 €64.5
$62.9 ฿2,102
15.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.75 €33.58
$28.58 ฿955
32.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.7 €70.0
$96.1 ฿3,213
-18.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 €93.4
$88.1 ฿2,943
19.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barcelos
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$494 €439
$729 ฿24.4K
-32.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$357 €318
$460 ฿15.4K
-22.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$895 €796
$2,096 ฿70.0K
-57.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 €619
$1,222 ฿40.8K
-43.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,651 €2,358
$3,459 ฿115.6K
-23.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,510 €1,343
$2,489 ฿83.2K
-39.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barcelos
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,072 €954
$493 ฿16.5K
117.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.7
5.57
-33.57%

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

Last update for Barcelos: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barcelos
$357
Phuket
$460 28.8% $103
Groceries & Markets
Barcelos
$255
Phuket
$268 5% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barcelos
$173
Phuket
$128 26% $45
Eating Out
Barcelos
$173
Phuket
$121 29.8% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Barcelos
$132
Phuket
$124 6.2% $8.3
Sport & Entertainment
Barcelos
$57
Phuket
$67 18.8% $11
Getting Around
Barcelos
$43
Phuket
$39 8.9% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $494 in Barcelos and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelos pays 117% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Barcelos vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $268, with Barcelos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Barcelos
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
03:39 3:39 AM
09:39 9:39 AM
6 h ahead of Barcelos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
116,766
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barcelos Phuket 10,810 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barcelos
  • Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Barcelos vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Barcelos?
Barcelos is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Barcelos or Phuket?
Average pay runs 117% higher in Barcelos, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Barcelos and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $494 in Barcelos versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Barcelos and in Phuket?
Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Barcelos or in Phuket?
Dining out is cheaper in Barcelos – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Barcelos or in Phuket?
At $1,190 in Barcelos versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barcelos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Barcelos or Phuket more family-friendly?
For families, Barcelos 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.
Which city is safer, Barcelos or Phuket?
Safety-wise, Barcelos 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Barcelos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Barcelos vs other spots: cost of living compared

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