Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belem and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Belem: $877 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Belem
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Belem Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Belem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$877

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belem 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 Belem and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $877 in Belem versus $1,278 in Phuket.

Belem $877
Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,329 in Belem versus $2,216 in Phuket.

Belem $1,329
Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,781 in Belem versus $3,154 in Phuket.

Belem $1,781
Phuket $3,154

Living in Belem costs roughly 31% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belem 36% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 R$25.08

$4.47 ฿151

4.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.25 R$98.2

$32.41 ฿1,094

-43.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.54 R$35.22

$8.81 ฿297

-25.77%

Cappuccino

$1.72 R$9.28

$2.83 ฿95.4

-39.22%

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

$0.99 R$5.34

$0.87 ฿29.42

13.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 R$2.35

$0.49 ฿16.66

-10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 R$8.10

$2.56 ฿86.3

-41.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 R$11.70

$3.68 ฿124

-41.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.92

$1.66 ฿56.0

-22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 R$12.54

$1.46 ฿49.32

59.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.70

$1.50 ฿50.5

-16.67%

Eggs

$1.98 R$10.67

$2.09 ฿70.5

-5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 R$45.44

$19.07 ฿643

-55.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.16

$3.30 ฿111

24.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.25 R$39.00

$10.91 ฿368

-33.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 R$12.05

$2.93 ฿98.9

-23.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 R$7.12

$1.69 ฿57.0

-21.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.48

$2.25 ฿75.8

-38.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.37

$2.08 ฿70.1

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 R$5.21

$1.51 ฿51.0

-35.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 R$2.89

$1.38 ฿46.54

-60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R$6.80

$1.07 ฿35.97

17.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$7.36

$0.52 ฿17.51

163.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 R$13.19

$4.20 ฿142

-41.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 R$50.2

$18.79 ฿634

-50.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R$7.18

$1.82 ฿61.5

-26.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 R$24.35

$2.84 ฿95.9

59.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.85

$1.45 ฿49.00

-37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.93 R$172

$56.7 ฿1,912

-43.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.93

$3.02 ฿102

-63.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 R$5.90

$1.02 ฿34.34

7.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.92 R$42.64

$3.69 ฿125

114.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 R$6.21

$1.47 ฿49.78

-21.77%

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

$21.8K R$117.5K

$26.8K ฿903.7K

-18.49%

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

$30.0K R$161.6K

$26.7K ฿900.8K

12.48%

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

$93.5 R$503

$96.4 ฿3,252

-2.95%

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

$10.82 R$58.3

$11.26 ฿380

-3.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.78 R$160

$16.85 ฿569

76.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.33 R$109

$67.2 ฿2,269

-69.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.96 R$199

$10.73 ฿362

244.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$40.15

$7.50 ฿253

-0.53%

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

$104 R$561

$476 ฿16.1K

-78.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,250 R$17.5K

$11.3K ฿380.1K

-71.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.81 R$166

$62.4 ฿2,105

-50.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.86 R$225

$28.41 ฿959

47.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 R$407

$94.3 ฿3,182

-19.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 R$330

$85.8 ฿2,896

-28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 R$2,709

$716 ฿24.2K

-29.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 R$1,436

$491 ฿16.6K

-45.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 R$4,506

$1,927 ฿65.0K

-56.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$485 R$2,611

$1,431 ฿48.3K

-66.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,865 R$10.0K

$4,175 ฿140.9K

-55.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,302 R$7,005

$3,045 ฿102.8K

-57.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$386 R$2,079

$502 ฿17.0K

-23.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

5.57

106.10%

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

Last update for Belem: October 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Belem

$267 30.4%

Phuket

$491 38.4% 84% $224

Groceries & Markets

Belem

$209 23.8%

Phuket

$266 20.8% 27.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belem

$134 15.3%

Phuket

$124 9.7% 7.2% $9.6

Eating Out

Belem

$95 10.9%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 27.8% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Belem

$94 10.8%

Phuket

$122 9.5% 29.2% $28

Getting Around

Belem

$42 4.8%

Phuket

$71 5.5% 67.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Belem

$35 4%

Phuket

$82 6.4% 133% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Belem and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $18 in Belem vs $32 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $266 per month, with Belem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Belem

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

10:02 10:02 AM

10 h ahead of Belem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,303,403

79,308

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.166 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Belem Phuket 16,280 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Belem
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

Belem vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Belem. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Belem versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 44% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $104 in Belem versus $476 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $877 in Belem versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.