Cost of Living Comparison Between Manaus and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Manaus and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $886 in Manaus versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,399 in Manaus versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,913 in Manaus versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Manaus costs roughly 28% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manaus 35% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.70 R$29.39

$4.41 ฿147

29.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.35 R$141

$32.26 ฿1,077

-15.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 R$34.46

$8.93 ฿298

-25.08%

Cappuccino

$2.28 R$11.73

$2.90 ฿96.6

-21.38%

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

$1.05 R$5.43

$0.88 ฿29.38

19.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R$4.04

$0.48 ฿16.06

62.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 R$13.78

$2.35 ฿78.5

14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 R$27.21

$3.72 ฿124

41.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R$7.12

$1.87 ฿62.3

-26.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 R$7.98

$1.47 ฿48.94

5.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.49

$1.55 ฿51.8

-18.71%

Eggs

$2.59 R$13.32

$2.10 ฿70.1

23.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 R$50.0

$19.59 ฿654

-50.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.81 R$19.65

$3.42 ฿114

11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.03 R$36.23

$11.38 ฿380

-38.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 R$12.00

$2.98 ฿99.6

-21.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.40

$1.68 ฿56.2

-2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.31

$2.21 ฿73.7

-35.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 R$10.14

$2.16 ฿72.1

-8.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.24

$1.52 ฿50.9

-20.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.18

$1.34 ฿44.67

-10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.80

$1.13 ฿37.67

-34.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.25

$0.55 ฿18.24

14.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 R$18.61

$4.26 ฿142

-15.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 R$45.22

$19.09 ฿637

-54.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.27

$1.78 ฿59.4

-20.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 R$8.40

$2.78 ฿92.9

-41.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.50

$2.23 ฿74.4

-60.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.18 R$197

$22.74 ฿759

67.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 R$4.88

$3.03 ฿101

-68.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.34

$1.02 ฿34.15

-17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.58 R$49.37

$3.89 ฿130

146.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R$6.81

$1.49 ฿49.77

-11.41%

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

$23.2K R$119.5K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

-12.76%

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

$32.0K R$164.8K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

18.34%

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

$115 R$591

$102 ฿3,420

12.00%

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

$15.37 R$79.2

$11.33 ฿378

35.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.52 R$126

$17.40 ฿581

40.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.29 R$130

$52.1 ฿1,738

-51.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.22 R$125

$11.07 ฿370

118.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 R$31.97

$7.69 ฿257

-19.38%

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

$219 R$1,127

$561 ฿18.7K

-60.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,047 R$26.0K

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-56.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.48 R$255

$63.0 ฿2,104

-21.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.09 R$160

$29.52 ฿986

5.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.4 R$301

$98.0 ฿3,272

-40.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.0 R$356

$88.5 ฿2,954

-22.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$620 R$3,196

$738 ฿24.6K

-15.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 R$1,081

$482 ฿16.1K

-56.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 R$4,762

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-56.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 R$2,459

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-61.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,700 R$8,756

$3,617 ฿120.7K

-53.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,293 R$6,662

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-50.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$517 R$2,663

$494 ฿16.5K

4.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.33

5.57

85.46%

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

Last update for Manaus: September 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $620 in Manaus and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manaus pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Manaus vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $274 per month, with Manaus 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

Manaus vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manaus is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Manaus, 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: $620 in Manaus versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $886 in Manaus versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manaus but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Manaus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manaus 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, Manaus 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 Manaus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.