Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arcos de Valdevez

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,540 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Arcos de Valdevez
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Arcos de Valdevez Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Arcos de Valdevez

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Arcos de Valdevez

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

A single person spends $1,208 per month in Phuket vs $1,540 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Phuket $1,208
Arcos de Valdevez $1,540

A couple spends around $2,027 per month in Phuket vs $2,260 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Phuket $2,027
Arcos de Valdevez $2,260

A family of three spends $2,845 per month in Phuket vs $2,981 in Arcos de Valdevez, rent included.

Phuket $2,845
Arcos de Valdevez $2,981

Phuket is about 22% cheaper than Arcos de Valdevez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Phuket sits 11% below the global median, while Arcos de Valdevez is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$9.04 €8.04

-51.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$42.22 €37.56

-23.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$8.20 €7.29

6.83%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.82 €1.62

55.49%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.49 €1.33

-39.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.14 €1.01

-58.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$2.26 €2.01

12.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.82 €2.51

35.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.15 €1.03

50.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.78 €1.58

-17.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.41 €1.25

7.09%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.27 €2.02

-4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$8.69 €7.73

126.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$8.11 €7.21

-58.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$14.33 €12.75

-22.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.92 €1.70

48.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.47 €1.31

15.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$1.76 €1.56

24.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.29 €2.04

-10.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.84 €1.64

-21.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$1.66 €1.47

-16.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.02 €0.91

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.58 €0.52

-12.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.74 €5.11

-25.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$4.42 €3.93

320.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.13 €1.01

57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.72 €1.53

65.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$2.25 €2.00

0.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$42.01 €37.37

-47.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$4.51 €4.01

-33.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$1.48 €1.31

-28.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$20.86 €18.55

-81.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$2.14 €1.91

-32.24%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$27.5K €24.5K

-4.26%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$37.9K €33.7K

-28.85%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$101 €90.0

-4.69%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$16.68 €14.84

-33.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$33.36 €29.67

-48.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$41.30 €36.73

26.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$16.41 €14.60

-31.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$8.80 €7.83

-11.25%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$458 €408

21.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$6,421 €5,711

80.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$95.2 €84.7

-32.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$35.80 €31.85

-19.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$76.5 €68.0

24.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$102 €90.4

-13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$961 €855

-23.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$753 €670

-38.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$1,519 €1,351

37.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$1,193 €1,061

0.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$3,051 €2,714

14.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,210 €1,966

14.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,919 €1,707

-73.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.7

50.54%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Arcos de Valdevez: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Arcos de Valdevez

$753 48.9% 62.9% $291

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Arcos de Valdevez

$228 14.8% 15% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Arcos de Valdevez

$151 9.8% 21.4% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Arcos de Valdevez

$139 9% 11.9% $15

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Arcos de Valdevez

$146 9.5% 20.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Arcos de Valdevez

$59 3.8% 13.1% $8.9

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Arcos de Valdevez

$63 4.1% 59.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $737 in Phuket versus $961 in Arcos de Valdevez. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 283% higher in Arcos de Valdevez, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $42.00 in Arcos de Valdevez. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Phuket vs $228 in Arcos de Valdevez – so Arcos de Valdevez wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇹 Arcos de Valdevez

🕒 Local time

05:22 5:22 AM

23:22 11:22 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

20,720

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Arcos de Valdevez 10,790 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Arcos de Valdevez

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

Phuket vs Arcos de Valdevez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arcos de Valdevez costs about 27% more than Phuket, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,813 per month in Phuket and $2,310 in Arcos de Valdevez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phuket, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $556 per month in Phuket and $458 in Arcos de Valdevez. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Arcos de Valdevez – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phuket, where all-in costs run around $1,208, than in Arcos de Valdevez at $1,540. In Phuket it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arcos de Valdevez it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,208 versus $1,540 in Arcos de Valdevez. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arcos de Valdevez makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.