Cost of Living Comparison Between Funchal and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Funchal and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,195 in Funchal versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,193 in Funchal versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,190 in Funchal versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Funchal is roughly 75% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Funchal is 60% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.58

$4.56 ฿151

244.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 €57.9

$32.62 ฿1,082

105.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.76 €11.88

$8.90 ฿295

54.61%

Cappuccino

$2.03 €1.75

$2.80 ฿93.0

-27.50%

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

$1.77 €1.52

$0.88 ฿29.19

101.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.25

$0.49 ฿16.23

195.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 €2.56

$2.39 ฿79.2

23.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.45

$3.71 ฿123

7.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.79 ฿59.3

-39.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.44 ฿47.81

26.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.58 ฿52.6

10.13%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.50

$2.13 ฿70.5

90.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.50 €9.06

$19.92 ฿661

-47.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 €6.76

$3.43 ฿114

128.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.39 €10.70

$11.33 ฿376

9.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$2.95 ฿97.8

-38.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.72 ฿57.1

4.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.32 ฿77.1

-20.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.26

$2.08 ฿69.0

25.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.47 ฿48.77

35.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.36 ฿45.05

52.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.10 ฿36.45

53.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.57 ฿19.06

45.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.67 €4.89

$4.27 ฿142

32.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.12

$18.42 ฿611

-61.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.87 ฿62.1

-29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.92 ฿96.9

-10.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.22 ฿73.6

3.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.46 €30.60

$22.90 ฿759

54.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 €3.49

$3.03 ฿101

33.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.07 ฿35.63

36.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.43 €16.76

$3.93 ฿130

394.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.49 ฿49.49

38.93%

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

$34.5K €29.8K

$27.1K ฿899.8K

27.29%

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

$38.9K €33.5K

$27.5K ฿910.6K

41.57%

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

$128 €110

$103 ฿3,410

24.24%

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

$17.67 €15.25

$10.99 ฿365

60.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.91 €43.07

$17.51 ฿581

185.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.24 €36.45

$53.5 ฿1,776

-21.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.55 €7.38

$11.20 ฿371

-23.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.94

$7.48 ฿248

22.99%

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

$431 €372

$557 ฿18.5K

-22.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,907 €7,686

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-24.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.8 €55.1

$64.1 ฿2,125

-0.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 €30.30

$29.07 ฿964

20.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 €78.8

$96.0 ฿3,183

-4.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 €68.0

$90.3 ฿2,997

-12.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 €1,325

$730 ฿24.2K

110.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 €1,095

$500 ฿16.6K

153.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,562 €2,211

$2,090 ฿69.3K

22.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,071 €1,787

$1,209 ฿40.1K

71.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,884 €4,215

$3,596 ฿119.3K

35.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,454 €2,981

$2,512 ฿83.3K

37.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,461 €1,260

$503 ฿16.7K

190.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.59

5.57

-35.55%

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

Last update for Funchal: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Funchal and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Funchal pays 190% 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: $67.0 in Funchal vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $253 vs $273, with Funchal 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

Funchal vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Funchal and Phuket differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,195 vs $1,253 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 190% higher in Funchal, 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: $1,536 in Funchal versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,195 per month in Funchal versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 55% less than in Funchal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $2,195 in Funchal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Funchal. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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.

Safety-wise, Funchal 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Funchal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.