Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelos and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelos and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Barcelos versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,969 in Barcelos versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,703 in Barcelos versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Barcelos costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Barcelos 10% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.56 €9.97

$4.56 ฿151

153.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 €43.04

$32.62 ฿1,082

52.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 €7.80

$8.90 ฿295

1.57%

Cappuccino

$1.98 €1.71

$2.80 ฿93.0

-29.29%

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

$2.02 €1.74

$0.88 ฿29.19

129.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.22

$0.49 ฿16.23

187.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$2.39 ฿79.2

50.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.46

$3.71 ฿123

-23.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.79 ฿59.3

-35.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.44 ฿47.81

27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 €1.61

$1.58 ฿52.6

17.72%

Eggs

$3.51 €3.03

$2.13 ฿70.5

64.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.37 €10.68

$19.92 ฿661

-37.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 €7.11

$3.43 ฿114

140.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.17 €13.09

$11.33 ฿376

33.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.95 ฿97.8

-30.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.72 ฿57.1

-18.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.32 ฿77.1

-19.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.08 ฿69.0

23.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.47 ฿48.77

25.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.36 ฿45.05

39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.41

$1.10 ฿36.45

48.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.85

$0.57 ฿19.06

71.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.05

$4.27 ฿142

64.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.53 €3.91

$18.42 ฿611

-75.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.12

$1.87 ฿62.1

-31.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.02

$2.92 ฿96.9

-19.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.22 ฿73.6

6.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.68 €20.43

$22.90 ฿759

3.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.95

$3.03 ฿101

51.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.07 ฿35.63

37.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.53 €15.12

$3.93 ฿130

346.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.90

$1.49 ฿49.49

47.65%

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

$34.9K €30.1K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

28.70%

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

$39.8K €34.4K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

45.14%

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

$116 €99.9

$103 ฿3,410

12.65%

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

$18.87 €16.28

$10.99 ฿365

71.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.28 €39.07

$17.51 ฿581

158.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.83 €34.37

$53.5 ฿1,776

-25.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.85 €5.91

$11.20 ฿371

-38.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 €8.03

$7.48 ฿248

24.47%

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

$342 €295

$557 ฿18.5K

-38.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,634 €5,724

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-44.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 €65.5

$64.1 ฿2,125

18.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.65 €33.35

$29.07 ฿964

32.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 €69.5

$96.0 ฿3,183

-16.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 €95.0

$90.3 ฿2,997

21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 €443

$730 ฿24.2K

-29.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$364 €314

$500 ฿16.6K

-27.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 €805

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-55.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 €646

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-38.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,743 €2,367

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-23.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,545 €1,333

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-38.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,120 €966

$503 ฿16.7K

122.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

5.57

-34.65%

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

Last update for Barcelos: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Barcelos and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelos pays 122% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Barcelos vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $262 vs $273, with Barcelos 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

Barcelos vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 122% higher in Barcelos, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $514 in Barcelos versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelos – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,235 in Barcelos versus $1,253 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.

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.

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.

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.