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: $1,196 in Barcelos versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,944 in Barcelos versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,692 in Barcelos versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Barcelos costs roughly 5% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Barcelos 11% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.54 €9.93

$4.70 ฿153

145.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.97 €40.41

$45.37 ฿1,482

3.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 €7.90

$8.43 ฿275

8.90%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$2.93 ฿95.6

-31.74%

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

$2.00 €1.72

$0.69 ฿22.40

189.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.37 ฿11.99

289.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 €2.77

$2.41 ฿78.6

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 €3.07

$3.72 ฿122

-4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.95

$2.23 ฿72.9

-50.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.83 ฿59.8

-3.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$2.17 ฿70.8

-23.96%

Eggs

$3.11 €2.67

$2.21 ฿72.3

40.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 €9.64

$19.74 ฿645

-43.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 €7.10

$3.63 ฿119

127.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 €11.80

$13.53 ฿442

1.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.28 ฿107

-38.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.61 ฿52.6

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.41 ฿78.6

-21.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.08 ฿68.1

42.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.53 ฿49.93

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.48 ฿48.36

28.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.99 ฿32.29

68.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.51 ฿16.67

74.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.43 €5.53

$4.41 ฿144

45.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.57 €3.93

$19.38 ฿633

-76.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.78 ฿58.1

-33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.00

$2.71 ฿88.6

-14.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.37 ฿44.79

65.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.99 €19.78

$11.39 ฿372

101.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.90

$3.02 ฿98.6

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 €1.03

$0.99 ฿32.48

21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.46 €15.02

$14.10 ฿461

23.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.36 ฿44.51

43.38%

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

$37.2K €32.0K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

32.06%

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

$40.0K €34.4K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

21.42%

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

$139 €120

$122 ฿3,975

14.16%

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

$21.75 €18.71

$13.57 ฿443

60.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.42 €35.63

$18.31 ฿598

126.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 €33.24

$60.2 ฿1,967

-35.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.05 €6.06

$17.14 ฿560

-58.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.41 €7.23

$8.69 ฿284

-3.22%

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

$285 €245

$693 ฿22.6K

-58.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,824 €5,009

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-62.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.1 €63.7

$59.5 ฿1,944

24.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.92 €33.48

$34.77 ฿1,136

11.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 €72.9

$115 ฿3,743

-26.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 €84.8

$83.3 ฿2,720

18.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 €377

$613 ฿20.0K

-28.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 €300

$437 ฿14.3K

-20.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €766

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-57.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 €628

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-51.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,821 €2,427

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-24.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,593 €1,370

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-39.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 €961

$508 ฿16.6K

119.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

5.33

-3.38%

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

Last update for Barcelos: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Barcelos and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelos pays 120% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Barcelos vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $293, 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 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Barcelos pays 120% more on average, 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: $439 in Barcelos versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% 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 $47.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,196 in Barcelos versus $1,265 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 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.