Cost of Living Comparison Between Luanda and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Luanda and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,010 in Luanda versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,900 in Luanda versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,790 in Luanda versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Luanda costs roughly 20% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Luanda 27% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.56 AOA 5,073

$4.66 ฿154

19.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.53 AOA 33.3K

$32.22 ฿1,066

13.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 AOA 5,908

$8.68 ฿287

-25.46%

Cappuccino

$2.53 AOA 2,312

$2.90 ฿95.9

-12.76%

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

$1.34 AOA 1,227

$0.84 ฿27.91

59.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 AOA 1,056

$0.49 ฿16.17

136.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 AOA 1,512

$2.48 ฿82.1

-33.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 AOA 1,519

$3.73 ฿123

-55.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 AOA 1,819

$1.89 ฿62.3

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 AOA 869

$1.41 ฿46.58

-32.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 AOA 1,466

$1.62 ฿53.6

-0.62%

Eggs

$1.88 AOA 1,713

$2.24 ฿74.1

-16.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 AOA 8,449

$19.84 ฿656

-53.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 AOA 3,138

$3.48 ฿115

-1.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.52 AOA 6,861

$11.37 ฿376

-33.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 AOA 2,057

$2.90 ฿95.9

-22.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 AOA 926

$1.72 ฿57.0

-41.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 AOA 2,536

$2.27 ฿75.2

22.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 AOA 1,683

$2.13 ฿70.5

-13.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 AOA 1,412

$1.47 ฿48.77

5.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 AOA 1,441

$1.42 ฿46.96

11.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 AOA 1,604

$1.10 ฿36.29

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 AOA 315

$0.60 ฿19.78

-43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.62 AOA 1,481

$4.31 ฿142

-62.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 AOA 5,377

$18.60 ฿615

-68.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 AOA 412

$1.80 ฿59.6

-75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 AOA 838

$2.97 ฿98.1

-69.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 AOA 310

$2.25 ฿74.3

-84.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.03 AOA 30.1K

$23.49 ฿777

40.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 AOA 1,027

$3.10 ฿103

-63.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 AOA 830

$1.08 ฿35.59

-15.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 AOA 5,019

$3.87 ฿128

42.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.32 AOA 292

$1.43 ฿47.20

-77.62%

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

$14.2K AOA 12.9M

$27.8K ฿918.9K

-49.03%

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

$22.7K AOA 20.7M

$27.0K ฿892.4K

-15.76%

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

$101 AOA 92.0K

$105 ฿3,466

-3.78%

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

$17.81 AOA 16.3K

$11.39 ฿377

56.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 AOA 72.6K

$17.54 ฿580

353.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.68 AOA 41.7K

$54.3 ฿1,797

-15.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 AOA 14.2K

$11.44 ฿378

36.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.57 AOA 3,259

$7.78 ฿257

-54.11%

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

$759 AOA 692.3K

$576 ฿19.1K

31.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K AOA 12.2M

$11.6K ฿383.0K

15.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 AOA 99.4K

$63.6 ฿2,104

71.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 AOA 58.1K

$29.10 ฿962

118.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 AOA 90.4K

$96.2 ฿3,182

2.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 AOA 183.3K

$90.0 ฿2,977

123.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 AOA 356.0K

$733 ฿24.2K

-46.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 AOA 179.1K

$501 ฿16.6K

-60.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,170 AOA 2.0M

$2,126 ฿70.3K

2.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 AOA 948.2K

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-17.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K AOA 10.9M

$3,534 ฿116.9K

238.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$894 AOA 815.6K

$2,622 ฿86.7K

-65.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,411 AOA 1.3M

$508 ฿16.8K

178.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

277.02%

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

Last update for Luanda: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Luanda and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 178% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Luanda vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $275, with Luanda 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

Luanda vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luanda and Phuket differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($1,010 vs $1,265 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 178% higher in Luanda, 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: $390 in Luanda versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Luanda runs roughly 41% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $759 in Luanda versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,010 in Luanda versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Luanda but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Luanda 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, Luanda 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 Luanda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.