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: $1,228 in Luanda versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Luanda versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,426 in Luanda versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Luanda costs roughly 3% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Luanda 8% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 AOA 5,468

$4.48 ฿150

33.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.01 AOA 43.8K

$45.59 ฿1,520

5.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 AOA 7,052

$8.76 ฿292

-11.76%

Cappuccino

$3.66 AOA 3,336

$2.97 ฿99.0

23.23%

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

$1.62 AOA 1,477

$0.69 ฿22.89

134.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 AOA 974

$0.39 ฿13.03

174.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 AOA 1,441

$2.53 ฿84.4

-37.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 AOA 1,650

$3.75 ฿125

-51.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 AOA 1,793

$2.15 ฿71.6

-8.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 AOA 1,063

$1.82 ฿60.5

-36.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 AOA 1,257

$2.18 ฿72.9

-36.70%

Eggs

$2.18 AOA 1,993

$2.25 ฿75.0

-3.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.58 AOA 11.5K

$20.00 ฿667

-37.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.85 AOA 5,335

$3.63 ฿121

61.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 AOA 8,906

$13.56 ฿452

-28.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 AOA 2,348

$3.24 ฿108

-20.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 AOA 976

$1.64 ฿54.6

-34.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 AOA 2,818

$2.33 ฿77.8

32.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 AOA 1,932

$2.07 ฿69.1

2.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 AOA 1,585

$1.55 ฿51.6

12.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 AOA 1,438

$1.46 ฿48.53

8.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 AOA 1,779

$0.98 ฿32.85

98.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 AOA 388

$0.48 ฿16.09

-10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 AOA 2,135

$4.35 ฿145

-46.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 AOA 5,340

$18.57 ฿619

-68.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 AOA 519

$1.86 ฿61.9

-69.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 AOA 1,194

$2.65 ฿88.5

-50.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 AOA 335

$1.42 ฿47.26

-73.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.15 AOA 30.2K

$11.57 ฿386

186.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 AOA 1,061

$3.17 ฿106

-63.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 AOA 839

$1.03 ฿34.40

-10.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 AOA 5,534

$13.89 ฿463

-56.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.38 AOA 349

$1.34 ฿44.83

-71.64%

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

$19.8K AOA 18.0M

$27.8K ฿926.8K

-28.86%

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

$28.4K AOA 25.9M

$33.4K ฿1.1M

-15.00%

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

$94.4 AOA 86.1K

$123 ฿4,104

-23.32%

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

$19.93 AOA 18.2K

$13.77 ฿459

44.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$132 AOA 120.5K

$18.33 ฿611

620.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.61 AOA 38.9K

$60.7 ฿2,024

-29.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.24 AOA 13.0K

$17.16 ฿572

-17.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.36 AOA 3,978

$8.87 ฿296

-50.85%

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

$691 AOA 630.9K

$688 ฿22.9K

0.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K AOA 13.5M

$15.8K ฿526.2K

-6.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 AOA 87.3K

$59.3 ฿1,978

61.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.9 AOA 71.1K

$34.69 ฿1,157

124.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 AOA 118.8K

$115 ฿3,841

12.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$251 AOA 229.0K

$83.8 ฿2,793

199.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 AOA 471.8K

$621 ฿20.7K

-16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 AOA 263.0K

$446 ฿14.9K

-35.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,388 AOA 2.2M

$2,034 ฿67.8K

17.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 AOA 1.2M

$1,496 ฿49.9K

-9.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.9K AOA 10.9M

$3,455 ฿115.2K

244.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$873 AOA 796.6K

$2,531 ฿84.4K

-65.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,405 AOA 1.3M

$494 ฿16.5K

184.60%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Luanda and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 185% 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 $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $291, 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 3% in total monthly costs ($1,228 vs $1,264 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 185% 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: $517 in Luanda versus $621 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 187% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $691 in Luanda versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,228 in Luanda versus $1,264 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 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.