Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mindelo and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Mindelo: $387 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mindelo, Cape Verde
Phuket, Thailand
Mindelo
🇨🇻 Cape Verde
$387
/mo nomad
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mindelo 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 Mindelo and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $387 per month in Mindelo vs $1,278 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Mindelo $387
  • Phuket $1,278

A couple spends around $897 per month in Mindelo vs $2,216 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Mindelo $897
  • Phuket $2,216

A family of three spends $1,406 per month in Mindelo vs $3,154 in Phuket, rent included.

  • Mindelo $1,406
  • Phuket $3,154

Mindelo is about 70% cheaper than Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mindelo and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Mindelo 72% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mindelo
Phuket
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.83 CVE 873
$4.47 ฿151
97.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.9 CVE 5,622
$32.41 ฿1,094
75.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$8.81 ฿297
-
Cappuccino
$1.11 CVE 109
$2.83 ฿95.5
-60.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.26 CVE 124
$0.87 ฿29.43
44.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 CVE 102
$0.49 ฿16.67
110.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.73 CVE 270
$2.56 ฿86.4
6.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 CVE 147
$3.68 ฿124
-59.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mindelo
Phuket
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 CVE 142
$1.66 ฿56.0
-13.25%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 CVE 109
$1.46 ฿49.35
-24.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.79 CVE 78.5
$1.50 ฿50.6
-47.33%
Eggs
$2.52 CVE 249
$2.09 ฿70.5
20.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.86 CVE 1,569
$19.07 ฿644
-16.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$3.30 ฿111
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.60 CVE 1,741
$10.91 ฿368
61.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.23 CVE 220
$2.93 ฿99.0
-23.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 CVE 193
$1.69 ฿57.1
15.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.92 CVE 289
$2.25 ฿75.8
29.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.99 CVE 295
$2.08 ฿70.1
43.75%
Potato (1kg)
$0.77 CVE 76.2
$1.51 ฿51.0
-49.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 CVE 162
$1.38 ฿46.56
18.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.04 CVE 102
$1.07 ฿35.99
-2.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.71 CVE 70.2
$0.52 ฿17.52
36.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.04 CVE 498
$4.20 ฿142
20.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.10 CVE 801
$18.79 ฿634
-56.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 CVE 187
$1.82 ฿61.5
3.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 CVE 202
$2.84 ฿95.9
-27.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Mindelo
Phuket
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.41 CVE 40.41
$1.45 ฿49.03
-71.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.74 CVE 3,039
$56.7 ฿1,913
-45.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 CVE 149
$3.02 ฿102
-50.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CVE 146
$1.02 ฿34.36
45.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.18 CVE 1,007
$3.69 ฿125
175.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 CVE 173
$1.47 ฿49.81
19.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$26.8K ฿904.3K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$26.7K ฿901.3K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mindelo
Phuket
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$96.4 ฿3,254
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$11.26 ฿380
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$16.85 ฿569
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mindelo
Phuket
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$67.2 ฿2,270
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.01 CVE 298
$10.73 ฿362
-71.95%
Cinema Ticket
-
$7.50 ฿253
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mindelo
Phuket
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$476 ฿16.1K
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$11.3K ฿380.4K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mindelo
Phuket
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$62.4 ฿2,106
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$28.41 ฿959
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$94.3 ฿3,184
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$85.8 ฿2,898
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mindelo
Phuket
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$716 ฿24.2K
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$491 ฿16.6K
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$361 CVE 35.7K
$1,927 ฿65.1K
-81.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$251 CVE 24.9K
$1,431 ฿48.3K
-82.43%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,175 ฿141.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,045 ฿102.8K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mindelo
Phuket
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$502 ฿17.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
5.57
-

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

Last update for Mindelo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mindelo
–
Phuket
$491
Groceries & Markets
Mindelo
–
Phuket
$266
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mindelo
–
Phuket
$124
Clothing & Footwear
Mindelo
–
Phuket
$122
Eating Out
Mindelo
–
Phuket
$122
Sport & Entertainment
Mindelo
–
Phuket
$82
Getting Around
Mindelo
–
Phuket
$71

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Mindelo versus $32 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Mindelo vs $266 in Phuket – so Mindelo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇻 Mindelo
🇹🇭 Phuket
🕒 Local time
20:49 8:49 PM
04:49 4:49 AM
8 h ahead of Mindelo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
70,000
79,308
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CVE – Cabo Verdean Escudo Converter

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 98.88 CVE (100 CVE = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.08 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mindelo Phuket 13,210 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mindelo
  • 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
Mindelo vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mindelo cheaper than Phuket?
Yes – Phuket is pricier by about 230%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $581 per month in Mindelo and $1,917 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 46% less in Mindelo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do food prices compare in Mindelo and in Phuket?
Groceries cost about 13% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Mindelo or in Phuket?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mindelo, where all-in costs run around $387, than in Phuket at $1,278. In Mindelo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Mindelo or in Phuket?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $387 in Mindelo to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Mindelo or Phuket?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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