Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matosinhos and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,913 in Matosinhos, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Matosinhos, Portugal
Phuket, Thailand
Matosinhos
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,913
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matosinhos and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,913 in Matosinhos versus $1,278 in Phuket.

  • Matosinhos $1,913
  • Phuket $1,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,802 in Matosinhos versus $2,216 in Phuket.

  • Matosinhos $2,802
  • Phuket $2,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,691 in Matosinhos versus $3,154 in Phuket.

  • Matosinhos $3,691
  • Phuket $3,154

Living in Matosinhos is roughly 50% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Matosinhos is 41% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Matosinhos
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.36 €12.00
$4.47 ฿151
198.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.26 €43.36
$32.41 ฿1,094
48.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.92 €8.92
$8.81 ฿297
12.60%
Cappuccino
$2.69 €2.42
$2.83 ฿95.5
-4.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 €1.80
$0.87 ฿29.43
129.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 €1.36
$0.49 ฿16.67
210.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.19 €1.97
$2.56 ฿86.4
-14.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 €3.10
$3.68 ฿124
-6.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Matosinhos
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 €0.98
$1.66 ฿56.0
-34.34%
White Bread (500g)
$1.68 €1.51
$1.46 ฿49.35
15.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 €1.52
$1.50 ฿50.6
12.67%
Eggs
$3.41 €3.07
$2.09 ฿70.5
63.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.78 €10.59
$19.07 ฿644
-38.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.04 €6.33
$3.30 ฿111
113.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.72 €13.23
$10.91 ฿368
34.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.21 €1.98
$2.93 ฿99.0
-24.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 €1.37
$1.69 ฿57.1
-10.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$2.25 ฿75.8
-16.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.49 €2.24
$2.08 ฿70.1
19.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.58 €1.42
$1.51 ฿51.0
4.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.84 €1.66
$1.38 ฿46.56
33.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.60 €1.44
$1.07 ฿35.99
49.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.52 ฿17.52
48.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.25 €5.61
$4.20 ฿142
48.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.44 €4.89
$18.79 ฿634
-71.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.82 ฿61.5
-25.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 €1.88
$2.84 ฿95.9
-26.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Matosinhos
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.76 €2.48
$1.45 ฿49.03
90.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.24 €40.64
$56.7 ฿1,913
-20.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.32 €3.88
$3.02 ฿102
43.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.02 ฿34.36
-19.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.87 €12.47
$3.69 ฿125
275.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.23 €2.01
$1.47 ฿49.81
51.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.3K €29.9K
$26.8K ฿904.3K
24.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.8K €34.0K
$26.7K ฿901.3K
41.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Matosinhos
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €148
$96.4 ฿3,254
70.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.58 €20.29
$11.26 ฿380
100.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.82 €29.48
$16.85 ฿569
94.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Matosinhos
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.5 €56.1
$67.2 ฿2,270
-7.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.39 €19.22
$10.73 ฿362
99.35%
Cinema Ticket
$9.06 €8.14
$7.50 ฿253
20.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Matosinhos
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$564 €507
$476 ฿16.1K
18.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K €9,433
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-6.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Matosinhos
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.8 €85.2
$62.4 ฿2,106
52.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.05 €33.29
$28.41 ฿959
30.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.5 €84.0
$94.3 ฿3,184
-0.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 €95.1
$85.8 ฿2,898
23.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Matosinhos
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,178 €1,058
$716 ฿24.2K
64.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$949 €852
$491 ฿16.6K
93.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,238 €2,011
$1,927 ฿65.1K
16.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,563 €1,404
$1,431 ฿48.3K
9.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,277 €3,842
$4,175 ฿141.0K
2.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,731 €3,352
$3,045 ฿102.8K
22.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Matosinhos
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,563 €1,404
$502 ฿17.0K
211.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.67
5.57
-34.11%

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

Last update for Matosinhos: October 24, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Matosinhos
$949
Phuket
$491 48.3% $458
Groceries & Markets
Matosinhos
$249
Phuket
$266 7% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Matosinhos
$220
Phuket
$124 43.4% $95
Eating Out
Matosinhos
$201
Phuket
$122 39.4% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Matosinhos
$149
Phuket
$122 18.2% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Matosinhos
$81
Phuket
$82 2% $1.7
Getting Around
Matosinhos
$65
Phuket
$71 9.2% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,178 in Matosinhos and $716 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Matosinhos pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $48 in Matosinhos vs $32 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $266, with Matosinhos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Matosinhos
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
11:01 11:01 AM
18:01 6:01 PM
7 h ahead of Matosinhos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
172,586
79,308
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Matosinhos Phuket 10,830 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Matosinhos
  • Phuket

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
Matosinhos vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Matosinhos?
Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Matosinhos or Phuket?
Average pay in Matosinhos is about 3.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Matosinhos and Phuket?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,178 in Matosinhos versus $716 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Matosinhos and in Phuket?
All in, you’ll spend $1,913 per month in Matosinhos versus $1,278 in Phuket – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Matosinhos runs roughly 20% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Matosinhos or in Phuket?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,913 in Matosinhos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Matosinhos. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Matosinhos or in Phuket?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Matosinhos on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Matosinhos vs other spots: cost of living compared

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