Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castelo Branco and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Castelo Branco: $1,100 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Castelo Branco
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Castelo Branco Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,100

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Castelo Branco $1,100
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,666 in Castelo Branco versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Castelo Branco $1,666
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,233 in Castelo Branco versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Castelo Branco $2,233
Phuket $2,867

Living in Castelo Branco costs roughly 9% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Castelo Branco 19% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.29 €10.05

$4.58 ฿153

146.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.12 €34.80

$32.48 ฿1,086

20.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.62 €8.56

$8.55 ฿286

12.51%

Cappuccino

$1.25 €1.11

$2.72 ฿91.0

-54.04%

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

$1.41 €1.25

$0.94 ฿31.25

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$0.49 ฿16.39

157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.59 ฿86.6

-57.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.96

$3.83 ฿128

-42.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.74 ฿58.1

-32.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.43 ฿47.82

-9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.53 ฿51.0

-5.23%

Eggs

$3.87 €3.44

$2.17 ฿72.7

78.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 €7.79

$19.15 ฿640

-54.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 €5.16

$3.30 ฿110

75.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 €7.63

$11.14 ฿372

-22.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.95 ฿98.5

-28.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 €1.17

$1.68 ฿56.1

-22.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 €1.56

$2.30 ฿76.8

-23.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.13 ฿71.3

7.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 €1.47

$1.53 ฿51.1

7.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.36 ฿45.55

6.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.12 ฿37.44

1.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$0.55 ฿18.24

47.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.97 €5.31

$4.26 ฿142

40.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.39 €3.01

$18.19 ฿608

-81.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.74 ฿58.2

-32.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.79 ฿93.3

-30.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 €1.11

$2.22 ฿74.1

-43.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.20 €19.75

$22.06 ฿737

0.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 €2.00

$2.91 ฿97.3

-22.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 €0.66

$1.01 ฿33.79

-26.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.67 €14.83

$3.83 ฿128

335.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.49 ฿49.85

36.91%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

25.60%

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

$40.5K €36.0K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

51.55%

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

$120 €106

$99.4 ฿3,321

20.41%

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

$19.03 €16.92

$11.28 ฿377

68.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.99 €28.45

$17.36 ฿580

84.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.32 €34.97

$52.3 ฿1,747

-24.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$6.70 €5.96

$7.57 ฿253

-11.49%

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

$678 €603

$558 ฿18.7K

21.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

47.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.7 €70.0

$62.9 ฿2,102

25.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.71 €39.77

$28.58 ฿955

56.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 €73.0

$96.1 ฿3,213

-14.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.6 €60.2

$88.1 ฿2,943

-23.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$458 €407

$729 ฿24.4K

-37.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 €323

$460 ฿15.4K

-21.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$796 €708

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-62.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 €538

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-50.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,574 €1,400

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-54.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,322 €1,176

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-46.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,617 €1,438

$493 ฿16.5K

227.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.57

-30.88%

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

Last update for Castelo Branco: October 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castelo Branco

$363 33%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 26.7% $97

Groceries & Markets

Castelo Branco

$203 18.4%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 32% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castelo Branco

$171 15.5%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 25% $43

Eating Out

Castelo Branco

$155 14.1%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 21.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Castelo Branco

$123 11.2%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 0.9% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Castelo Branco

$53 4.8%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 27.9% $15

Getting Around

Castelo Branco

$33 3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 17.2% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Castelo Branco and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 228% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Castelo Branco vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $203 vs $268, with Castelo Branco cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Castelo Branco

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

21:04 9:04 PM

6 h ahead of Castelo Branco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,291

79,308

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Castelo Branco Phuket 10,780 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Castelo Branco
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

Castelo Branco vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelo Branco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 228% higher in Castelo Branco, 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: $458 in Castelo Branco versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,100 per month in Castelo Branco versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 1% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Castelo Branco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Castelo Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Castelo Branco 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, Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.