Cost of Living Comparison Between Imperatriz and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Imperatriz and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $770 in Imperatriz versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,219 in Imperatriz versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,667 in Imperatriz versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Imperatriz costs roughly 37% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Imperatriz 42% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.29 R$26.36

$4.63 ฿151

14.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.68 R$133

$46.84 ฿1,523

-43.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 R$31.29

$8.84 ฿287

-28.96%

Cappuccino

$1.79 R$8.93

$3.00 ฿97.4

-40.33%

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

$1.08 R$5.37

$0.74 ฿24.11

45.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 R$2.33

$0.37 ฿11.88

27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 R$9.05

$2.44 ฿79.3

-25.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 R$13.68

$3.61 ฿117

-23.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R$4.64

$2.26 ฿73.5

-58.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 R$7.44

$1.84 ฿59.8

-19.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.87

$2.24 ฿73.0

-47.32%

Eggs

$1.94 R$9.68

$2.32 ฿75.3

-16.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 R$41.84

$19.67 ฿639

-57.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 R$18.62

$3.65 ฿119

2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 R$35.87

$13.10 ฿426

-45.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 R$10.18

$3.39 ฿110

-39.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.46

$1.64 ฿53.4

-20.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.67

$2.41 ฿78.5

-52.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.15

$2.03 ฿66.0

-29.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.00

$1.56 ฿50.6

-23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.31

$1.50 ฿48.66

-28.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.76

$1.02 ฿33.30

-25.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.35

$0.49 ฿15.91

36.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 R$10.56

$4.45 ฿145

-52.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.85 R$39.09

$18.88 ฿614

-58.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R$6.29

$1.78 ฿57.7

-29.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.36

$2.75 ฿89.5

-24.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.40

$1.40 ฿45.54

-37.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.31 R$191

$11.48 ฿373

233.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.28

$3.12 ฿101

-66.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.56

$1.00 ฿32.48

-29.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 R$31.44

$14.09 ฿458

-55.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.37

$1.35 ฿43.93

-20.00%

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

$20.5K R$102.3K

$27.2K ฿883.7K

-24.42%

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

$27.3K R$136.0K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-17.05%

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

$60.0 R$299

$125 ฿4,063

-52.00%

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

$13.42 R$66.8

$13.57 ฿441

-1.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.92 R$94.2

$18.52 ฿602

2.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.23 R$111

$61.5 ฿1,999

-63.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.78 R$108

$16.84 ฿547

29.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.42 R$31.96

$9.19 ฿299

-30.14%

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

$265 R$1,322

$698 ฿22.7K

-61.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,558 R$32.7K

$15.6K ฿506.9K

-57.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.85 R$243

$57.8 ฿1,878

-15.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.43 R$211

$35.24 ฿1,146

20.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 R$377

$113 ฿3,677

-33.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.3 R$320

$86.4 ฿2,808

-25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$316 R$1,575

$616 ฿20.0K

-48.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$213 R$1,062

$446 ฿14.5K

-52.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 R$2,867

$2,048 ฿66.6K

-71.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 R$2,099

$1,492 ฿48.5K

-71.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,754 R$8,733

$3,779 ฿122.8K

-53.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,066 R$5,310

$2,649 ฿86.1K

-59.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

5.33

104.88%

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

Last update for Imperatriz: April 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $316 in Imperatriz and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27.00 in Imperatriz vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $292 per month, with Imperatriz cheaper across the board.

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

Imperatriz vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imperatriz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,155 in Imperatriz and $1,847 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $316 in Imperatriz versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperatriz – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $770 in Imperatriz versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imperatriz but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Imperatriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imperatriz 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, Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.