Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Funchal and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,099 in Funchal, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Funchal
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Funchal Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Funchal

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,099

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,099 in Funchal versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Funchal $2,099
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,058 in Funchal versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Funchal $3,058
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,017 in Funchal versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Funchal $4,017
Phuket $2,867

Living in Funchal is roughly 74% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Funchal is 56% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 €13.25

$4.58 ฿153

225.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €57.6

$32.48 ฿1,086

99.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.51 €12.02

$8.55 ฿286

58.01%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.78

$2.72 ฿91.0

-26.47%

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

$1.64 €1.46

$0.94 ฿31.25

74.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.49 ฿16.39

183.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 €2.55

$2.59 ฿86.6

10.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.44

$3.83 ฿128

1.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.74 ฿58.1

-39.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.53

$1.43 ฿47.82

20.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.53 ฿51.0

10.46%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.52

$2.17 ฿72.7

82.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.34 €9.20

$19.15 ฿640

-46.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.36 €6.55

$3.30 ฿110

123.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 €10.52

$11.14 ฿372

6.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.95 ฿98.5

-41.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$1.68 ฿56.1

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.30 ฿76.8

-24.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.24

$2.13 ฿71.3

17.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.53 ฿51.1

21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.75

$1.36 ฿45.55

44.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.12 ฿37.44

50.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.71

$0.55 ฿18.24

45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.60 €4.98

$4.26 ฿142

31.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$18.19 ฿608

-63.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.74 ฿58.2

-27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.79 ฿93.3

-11.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 €1.93

$2.22 ฿74.1

-2.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.10 €30.33

$22.06 ฿737

54.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 €3.40

$2.91 ฿97.3

31.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.01 ฿33.79

36.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.88 €16.79

$3.83 ฿128

392.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 €1.80

$1.49 ฿49.85

36.24%

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

$34.0K €30.2K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

27.43%

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

$38.0K €33.8K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

42.31%

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

$123 €109

$99.4 ฿3,321

23.66%

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

$17.20 €15.30

$11.28 ฿377

52.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.15 €43.72

$17.36 ฿580

183.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.59 €36.99

$52.3 ฿1,747

-20.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.56 €7.61

$10.85 ฿362

-21.11%

Cinema Ticket

$8.48 €7.54

$7.57 ฿253

12.02%

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

$419 €372

$558 ฿18.7K

-25.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,353 €7,430

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-27.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 €54.9

$62.9 ฿2,102

-1.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.72 €29.10

$28.58 ฿955

14.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 €79.0

$96.1 ฿3,213

-7.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.3 €66.1

$88.1 ฿2,943

-15.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 €1,309

$729 ฿24.4K

101.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 €1,087

$460 ฿15.4K

165.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 €2,215

$2,096 ฿70.0K

18.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 €1,762

$1,222 ฿40.8K

62.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,739 €4,215

$3,459 ฿115.6K

37.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,237 €2,880

$2,489 ฿83.2K

30.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,457 €1,296

$493 ฿16.5K

195.56%

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: 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

Funchal

$1.2K 58.2%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 62.3% $762

Groceries & Markets

Funchal

$243 11.6%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 10.2% $25

Eating Out

Funchal

$218 10.4%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 44.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Funchal

$189 9%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 32.4% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Funchal

$116 5.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 7% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Funchal

$59 2.8%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 15.2% $8.9

Getting Around

Funchal

$53 2.6%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 27.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,471 in Funchal and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Funchal pays 196% 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: $65.0 in Funchal vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $268, with Funchal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Funchal

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

06:25 6:25 AM

6 h ahead of Funchal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,795

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

Funchal Phuket 11,830 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Funchal
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

Funchal vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Funchal and Phuket differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($2,099 vs $1,207 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 196% 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: $1,471 in Funchal versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,099 per month in Funchal versus $1,207 in Phuket – a 74% 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 $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,099 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 74% less than in Funchal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.