Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Koh Phangan and Porto Alegre

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Alegre: $965 a month against $1,103 in Koh Phangan, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Koh Phangan, Thailand
Porto Alegre, Brazil
Koh Phangan
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,103
/mo nomad
Porto Alegre
🇧🇷 Brazil
$965
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Koh Phangan and in Porto Alegre

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Koh Phangan and in Porto Alegre actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,103 in Koh Phangan versus $965 in Porto Alegre.

  • Koh Phangan $1,103
  • Porto Alegre $965

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,874 in Koh Phangan versus $1,487 in Porto Alegre.

  • Koh Phangan $1,874
  • Porto Alegre $1,487

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,646 in Koh Phangan versus $2,009 in Porto Alegre.

  • Koh Phangan $2,646
  • Porto Alegre $2,009

Living in Koh Phangan is roughly 14% more expensive than in Porto Alegre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Koh Phangan 19% lower, Porto Alegre 29% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Koh Phangan
Porto Alegre
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.88 ฿131
$7.55 R$40.42
-48.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.98 ฿979
$37.17 R$199
-22.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.88 ฿266
$6.43 R$34.43
22.55%
Cappuccino
$2.46 ฿83.2
$2.42 R$12.94
1.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 ฿27.06
$1.26 R$6.72
-36.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 ฿14.90
$1.03 R$5.50
-57.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.25 ฿76.0
$2.28 R$12.22
-1.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 ฿110
$2.73 R$14.59
19.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Koh Phangan
Porto Alegre
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 ฿53.6
$0.96 R$5.16
65.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.38 ฿46.60
$1.57 R$8.38
-12.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 ฿48.50
$1.04 R$5.58
38.46%
Eggs
$2.00 ฿67.4
$2.35 R$12.60
-14.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.46 ฿623
$9.78 R$52.3
88.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.29 ฿111
$4.57 R$24.47
-28.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.67 ฿360
$9.43 R$50.5
13.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.72 ฿91.7
$2.29 R$12.27
18.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 ฿52.0
$1.35 R$7.23
14.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.07 ฿69.9
$1.32 R$7.08
56.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 ฿65.3
$1.54 R$8.21
25.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.44 ฿48.63
$1.13 R$6.07
27.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.23 ฿41.67
$1.05 R$5.63
17.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.86 R$4.62
24.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 ฿16.06
$0.77 R$4.11
-37.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.04 ฿136
$2.36 R$12.65
71.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.83 ฿602
$7.26 R$38.83
145.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 ฿57.5
$1.04 R$5.56
63.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65 ฿89.6
$2.03 R$10.89
30.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Koh Phangan
Porto Alegre
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.32 ฿44.64
$0.95 R$5.09
38.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.08 ฿1,657
$56.3 R$301
-12.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.61 ฿88.3
$1.19 R$6.36
119.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.96 ฿32.44
$0.79 R$4.24
21.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.32 ฿112
$7.50 R$40.14
-55.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 ฿44.99
$1.25 R$6.68
6.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.5K ฿795.2K
$22.1K R$118.4K
6.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.7K ฿799.5K
$31.7K R$169.4K
-25.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Phangan
Porto Alegre
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$98.0 ฿3,311
$72.6 R$388
35.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.12 ฿376
$11.86 R$63.5
-6.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.94 ฿572
$20.42 R$109
-17.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Koh Phangan
Porto Alegre
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.7 ฿2,286
$27.19 R$146
148.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.81 ฿365
$29.04 R$155
-62.78%
Cinema Ticket
$7.68 ฿259
$6.89 R$36.85
11.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Koh Phangan
Porto Alegre
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$478 ฿16.2K
$516 R$2,760
-7.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.6K ฿391.7K
$23.5K R$125.7K
-50.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Koh Phangan
Porto Alegre
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.1 ฿2,098
$47.70 R$255
30.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.52 ฿963
$54.6 R$292
-47.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,242
$94.6 R$506
1.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.5 ฿2,922
$73.5 R$393
17.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Koh Phangan
Porto Alegre
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$498 ฿16.8K
$425 R$2,273
17.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$348 ฿11.7K
$304 R$1,628
14.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,349 ฿45.6K
$707 R$3,785
90.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,007 ฿34.0K
$474 R$2,535
112.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,927 ฿98.8K
$1,456 R$7,792
101.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,098 ฿70.9K
$1,127 R$6,030
86.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Koh Phangan
Porto Alegre
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$724 ฿24.4K
$521 R$2,787
38.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11.5
-51.57%

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

Last update for Koh Phangan: October 25, 2026

Last update for Porto Alegre: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Koh Phangan
$348
Porto Alegre
$304 12.6% $44
Groceries & Markets
Koh Phangan
$254
Porto Alegre
$194 23.7% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Koh Phangan
$126
Porto Alegre
$105 16.9% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Koh Phangan
$123
Porto Alegre
$122 1% $1.3
Eating Out
Koh Phangan
$107
Porto Alegre
$135 25.9% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Koh Phangan
$83
Porto Alegre
$41 50.7% $42
Getting Around
Koh Phangan
$62
Porto Alegre
$65 5.6% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Koh Phangan and $425 in Porto Alegre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koh Phangan pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $29 in Koh Phangan vs $37 in Porto Alegre. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $194, with Porto Alegre cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Koh Phangan
🇧🇷 Porto Alegre
🕒 Local time
15:07 3:07 PM
05:07 5:07 AM
10 h behind Koh Phangan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,332,833
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.58 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Koh Phangan Porto Alegre 16,280 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Koh Phangan
  • Porto Alegre

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
Koh Phangan vs Porto Alegre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Koh Phangan and in Porto Alegre?
Koh Phangan and Porto Alegre differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,103 vs $965 including rent). Porto Alegre is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Koh Phangan or Porto Alegre?
Average pay runs 39% higher in Koh Phangan, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Koh Phangan and in Porto Alegre?
Rent for a central apartment: $498 in Koh Phangan versus $425 in Porto Alegre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Koh Phangan – a meal for two runs $29 versus $37 in Porto Alegre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Koh Phangan or Porto Alegre?
All in, you’ll spend $1,103 per month in Koh Phangan versus $965 in Porto Alegre – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is feasible on a $800 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Porto Alegre is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How do I decide between Koh Phangan and Porto Alegre?
It comes down to priorities – Porto Alegre wins on affordability, Koh Phangan on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Koh Phangan vs other spots: cost of living compared

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