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: $1,255 in Luanda versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,347 in Luanda versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,439 in Luanda versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Luanda costs roughly 1% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Luanda 7% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.73 AOA 5,234

$4.56 ฿149

25.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.56 AOA 43.4K

$46.63 ฿1,519

1.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 AOA 7,356

$8.47 ฿276

-4.84%

Cappuccino

$3.53 AOA 3,222

$3.03 ฿98.6

16.50%

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

$1.61 AOA 1,474

$0.69 ฿22.45

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 AOA 964

$0.37 ฿11.92

186.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 AOA 1,394

$2.49 ฿81.0

-38.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 AOA 1,577

$3.66 ฿119

-52.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 AOA 1,830

$2.18 ฿71.0

-8.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 AOA 1,107

$1.90 ฿62.0

-36.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 AOA 1,261

$2.20 ฿71.6

-37.27%

Eggs

$2.14 AOA 1,957

$2.22 ฿72.4

-3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 AOA 11.2K

$19.99 ฿651

-38.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.81 AOA 5,308

$3.66 ฿119

58.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 AOA 9,127

$13.25 ฿432

-24.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 AOA 2,325

$3.23 ฿105

-21.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 AOA 971

$1.70 ฿55.3

-37.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 AOA 2,847

$2.39 ฿78.0

30.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 AOA 1,934

$2.08 ฿67.7

1.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 AOA 1,591

$1.59 ฿51.8

9.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 AOA 1,387

$1.48 ฿48.31

2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 AOA 1,791

$1.03 ฿33.54

90.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 AOA 413

$0.52 ฿16.83

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 AOA 2,136

$4.25 ฿138

-44.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 AOA 5,577

$18.79 ฿612

-67.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 AOA 508

$1.76 ฿57.2

-68.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 AOA 1,151

$2.76 ฿89.8

-54.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 AOA 304

$1.36 ฿44.32

-75.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.72 AOA 29.9K

$11.36 ฿370

188.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 AOA 1,111

$3.14 ฿102

-61.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 AOA 783

$1.04 ฿33.74

-17.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 AOA 5,349

$13.77 ฿448

-57.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.39 AOA 354

$1.34 ฿43.79

-70.90%

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

$20.1K AOA 18.3M

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-27.55%

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

$28.6K AOA 26.1M

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-15.43%

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

$97.8 AOA 89.3K

$124 ฿4,025

-20.87%

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

$19.81 AOA 18.1K

$13.52 ฿440

46.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$131 AOA 119.2K

$18.69 ฿609

598.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.45 AOA 39.7K

$61.8 ฿2,013

-29.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.30 AOA 13.1K

$17.25 ฿562

-17.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.41 AOA 4,023

$9.14 ฿298

-51.75%

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

$695 AOA 634.3K

$703 ฿22.9K

-1.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K AOA 13.7M

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-5.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 AOA 87.5K

$59.5 ฿1,937

61.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.1 AOA 71.3K

$35.07 ฿1,142

122.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 AOA 118.0K

$115 ฿3,754

12.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$257 AOA 234.7K

$84.1 ฿2,737

205.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 AOA 484.4K

$619 ฿20.1K

-14.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 AOA 266.9K

$433 ฿14.1K

-32.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,377 AOA 2.2M

$2,062 ฿67.2K

15.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 AOA 1.2M

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-11.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.2K AOA 11.1M

$3,646 ฿118.7K

234.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$883 AOA 806.3K

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-66.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,382 AOA 1.3M

$507 ฿16.5K

172.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

350.28%

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

Last update for Luanda: June 9, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $530 in Luanda and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 173% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Luanda vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $223 vs $293, 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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,255 vs $1,261 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Luanda pays 173% more on average, 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: $530 in Luanda versus $619 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 188% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $695 in Luanda versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,255 in Luanda versus $1,261 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.