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: $1,919 in Funchal versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,821 in Funchal versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Funchal versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Funchal is roughly 53% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Funchal is 44% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.42 €9.98

$4.55 ฿153

150.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.6 €50.3

$46.18 ฿1,550

24.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 €8.18

$8.84 ฿297

5.88%

Cappuccino

$1.76 €1.54

$3.06 ฿103

-42.48%

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

$1.82 €1.59

$0.73 ฿24.36

149.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$0.40 ฿13.37

285.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 €3.08

$2.43 ฿81.6

44.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 €3.57

$3.78 ฿127

8.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 €0.93

$2.26 ฿75.8

-53.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.81 ฿60.8

3.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.48

$2.25 ฿75.7

-24.89%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.54

$2.25 ฿75.4

80.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 €9.24

$19.51 ฿655

-45.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.27 €6.35

$3.65 ฿122

99.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.63 €10.16

$13.05 ฿438

-10.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$3.23 ฿109

-39.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.62 ฿54.3

12.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 €1.51

$2.38 ฿80.0

-27.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.15

$2.03 ฿68.0

21.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.77

$1.53 ฿51.5

32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.50 ฿50.4

25.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.98 ฿32.85

78.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.52 ฿17.36

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 €5.17

$4.44 ฿149

33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.98 €6.09

$18.32 ฿615

-61.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.36

$1.86 ฿62.6

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.61

$2.68 ฿90.0

11.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.41 ฿47.37

62.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.34 €30.00

$11.70 ฿393

193.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.11 ฿104

29.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.04 ฿35.00

27.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.15 €16.73

$14.11 ฿474

35.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 €1.69

$1.31 ฿44.02

47.33%

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

$35.0K €30.6K

$27.8K ฿933.8K

25.71%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

17.90%

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

$117 €103

$122 ฿4,110

-4.07%

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

$20.15 €17.61

$13.59 ฿456

48.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.92 €41.00

$18.70 ฿628

150.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.68 €38.16

$60.5 ฿2,031

-27.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.61 €7.52

$16.98 ฿570

-49.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 €7.80

$9.07 ฿305

-1.54%

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

$450 €393

$706 ฿23.7K

-36.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,452 €5,637

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-59.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 €57.0

$58.6 ฿1,965

11.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.59 €30.22

$35.36 ฿1,187

-2.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 €71.0

$115 ฿3,876

-29.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 €66.0

$83.7 ฿2,811

-9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 €1,221

$626 ฿21.0K

123.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 €923

$445 ฿14.9K

137.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 €2,188

$2,040 ฿68.5K

22.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 €1,512

$1,492 ฿50.1K

16.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,928 €4,306

$3,483 ฿116.9K

41.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,279 €2,865

$2,577 ฿86.5K

27.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,328 €1,160

$500 ฿16.8K

165.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

5.33

-1.13%

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

Last update for Funchal: July 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,398 in Funchal and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Funchal pays 166% 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: $58.0 in Funchal vs $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $289, 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 53% in total monthly costs ($1,919 vs $1,250 including rent). Phuket is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 166% 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: $1,398 in Funchal versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,919 per month in Funchal versus $1,250 in Phuket – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 194% less than in Funchal. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,919 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 53% less than in Funchal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.