Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo Frio and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $625 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
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Cabo Frio Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$625

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $625 per month in Cabo Frio vs $1,294 in Phuket, rent included.

Cabo Frio $625
Phuket $1,294

A couple spends around $1,031 per month in Cabo Frio vs $2,204 in Phuket, rent included.

Cabo Frio $1,031
Phuket $2,204

A family of three spends $1,438 per month in Cabo Frio vs $3,115 in Phuket, rent included.

Cabo Frio $1,438
Phuket $3,115

Cabo Frio is about 52% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cabo Frio and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Cabo Frio 54% lower, Phuket 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 R$30.63

$4.39 ฿148

27.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.85 R$153

$32.31 ฿1,090

-13.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$35.46

$8.70 ฿294

-25.75%

Cappuccino

$1.62 R$8.90

$2.72 ฿91.9

-40.44%

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

$1.26 R$6.91

$0.93 ฿31.38

35.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 R$2.75

$0.50 ฿16.85

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 R$6.20

$2.53 ฿85.4

-55.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 R$9.84

$3.63 ฿122

-50.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 R$4.22

$1.74 ฿58.7

-55.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 R$7.72

$1.45 ฿48.93

-2.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 R$4.19

$1.50 ฿50.7

-49.33%

Eggs

$1.43 R$7.85

$2.17 ฿73.3

-34.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 R$39.49

$19.09 ฿644

-62.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 R$17.47

$3.40 ฿115

-6.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.19 R$50.4

$10.90 ฿368

-15.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R$9.71

$2.94 ฿99.2

-39.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 R$6.06

$1.69 ฿57.1

-34.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.95

$2.19 ฿74.0

-58.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.50

$2.12 ฿71.6

-44.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 R$3.51

$1.46 ฿49.19

-56.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 R$4.14

$1.37 ฿46.14

-45.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 R$2.92

$1.08 ฿36.29

-50.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 R$2.94

$0.55 ฿18.40

-1.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.50 R$8.21

$4.43 ฿149

-66.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 R$30.20

$18.25 ฿616

-69.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.81

$1.77 ฿59.8

-50.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$7.24

$2.88 ฿97.2

-54.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 R$6.87

$1.45 ฿48.82

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 R$410

$54.9 ฿1,851

36.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.68

$1.51 ฿51.0

-19.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$4.00

$0.78 ฿26.17

-6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.24 R$39.72

$3.84 ฿129

88.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.91

$1.49 ฿50.2

-27.52%

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

$19.7K R$108.2K

$26.9K ฿906.7K

-26.66%

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

$28.6K R$156.8K

$26.3K ฿888.6K

8.47%

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

$54.1 R$297

$97.8 ฿3,299

-44.71%

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

$7.04 R$38.66

$11.29 ฿381

-37.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.74 R$69.9

$17.19 ฿580

-25.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.35 R$112

$68.3 ฿2,305

-70.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 R$24.10

$7.43 ฿251

-40.92%

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

$135 R$740

$530 ฿17.9K

-74.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,436 R$13.4K

$18.8K ฿633.5K

-87.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.09 R$231

$61.7 ฿2,080

-31.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.34 R$205

$28.25 ฿953

32.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 R$285

$96.0 ฿3,238

-45.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.49 R$244

$86.8 ฿2,928

-48.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,295

$721 ฿24.3K

-42.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 R$594

$509 ฿17.2K

-78.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 R$3,355

$1,950 ฿65.8K

-68.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 R$1,439

$1,397 ฿47.1K

-81.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$256 R$1,407

$492 ฿16.6K

-47.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

5.57

91.56%

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

Last update for Cabo Frio: November 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cabo Frio

$151 24.1%

Phuket

$267 20.6% 77.2% $116

Accommodation & Living

Cabo Frio

$108 17.3%

Phuket

$509 39.3% 370% $401

Eating Out

Cabo Frio

$100 16%

Phuket

$120 9.2% 19.8% $20

Getting Around

Cabo Frio

$85 13.5%

Phuket

$66 5.1% 21.8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo Frio

$79 12.7%

Phuket

$123 9.5% 55.1% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo Frio

$74 11.8%

Phuket

$126 9.8% 71% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo Frio

$29 4.7%

Phuket

$83 6.4% 186% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Cabo Frio versus $721 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 92% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Cabo Frio versus $32 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $151 vs $267 – making Cabo Frio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

01:56 1:56 AM

11:56 11:56 AM

10 h ahead of Cabo Frio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,161

79,308

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cabo Frio Phuket 15,470 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Cabo Frio
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

Cabo Frio vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 107%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $938 per month in Cabo Frio and $1,940 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cabo Frio, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $721 in Phuket.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $625 in Cabo Frio and $1,294 in Phuket. That makes Cabo Frio about 52% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Phuket. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabo Frio, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Cabo Frio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo Frio – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cabo Frio. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.