Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,029 in Curitiba versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Curitiba versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,163 in Curitiba versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Curitiba costs roughly 19% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 25% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.68 R$39.38

$4.66 ฿154

64.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.78 R$199

$32.22 ฿1,065

20.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.82 R$45.20

$8.68 ฿287

1.61%

Cappuccino

$2.68 R$13.72

$2.90 ฿95.8

-7.59%

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

$1.13 R$5.81

$0.84 ฿27.89

34.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R$4.70

$0.49 ฿16.16

87.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 R$14.30

$2.48 ฿82.0

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 R$21.27

$3.73 ฿123

11.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.49

$1.89 ฿62.3

-43.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.43

$1.41 ฿46.54

30.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.90

$1.62 ฿53.6

-16.67%

Eggs

$2.37 R$12.14

$2.24 ฿74.1

5.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 R$49.15

$19.84 ฿656

-51.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 R$24.71

$3.48 ฿115

38.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.03 R$51.4

$11.37 ฿376

-11.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.32

$2.90 ฿95.8

-44.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.38

$1.72 ฿57.0

-38.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 R$4.88

$2.27 ฿75.1

-58.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.93

$2.13 ฿70.4

-45.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.15

$1.47 ฿48.72

-44.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 R$3.83

$1.42 ฿46.92

-47.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$1.10 ฿36.25

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.44

$0.60 ฿19.76

45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 R$15.10

$4.31 ฿142

-31.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.57 R$38.83

$18.60 ฿615

-59.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R$7.13

$1.80 ฿59.5

-22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R$12.72

$2.97 ฿98.0

-16.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 R$5.91

$2.25 ฿74.2

-48.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 R$353

$23.49 ฿776

193.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 R$6.34

$3.10 ฿102

-60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 R$4.11

$1.08 ฿35.56

-25.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.87 R$30.09

$3.87 ฿128

51.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R$6.76

$1.43 ฿47.16

-7.69%

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

$23.0K R$118.0K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-17.15%

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

$32.6K R$167.1K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

20.79%

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

$101 R$515

$105 ฿3,462

-4.07%

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

$14.74 R$75.6

$11.39 ฿376

29.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.53 R$115

$17.54 ฿580

28.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.41 R$140

$54.3 ฿1,795

-49.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 R$87.5

$11.44 ฿378

49.13%

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 R$34.67

$7.78 ฿257

-13.11%

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

$377 R$1,932

$576 ฿19.0K

-34.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K R$56.2K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-5.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 R$282

$63.6 ฿2,103

-13.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 R$260

$29.10 ฿961

74.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 R$476

$96.2 ฿3,179

-3.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 R$398

$90.0 ฿2,974

-13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$496 R$2,544

$733 ฿24.2K

-32.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 R$1,466

$501 ฿16.5K

-42.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 R$4,042

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-62.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R$2,665

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-58.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,477 R$12.7K

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-29.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,766 R$9,055

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-32.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 R$3,403

$508 ฿16.8K

30.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.54

5.57

107.18%

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

Last update for Curitiba: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $496 in Curitiba and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 31% 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 Curitiba vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $195 vs $275, with Curitiba 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

Curitiba vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curitiba wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Curitiba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Curitiba, 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: $496 in Curitiba versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Curitiba runs roughly 193% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $377 in Curitiba versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,029 in Curitiba versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Curitiba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Curitiba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Curitiba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,029 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Curitiba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Curitiba 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 Curitiba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.