Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Atibaia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Atibaia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $745 in Atibaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,307 in Atibaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,869 in Atibaia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 68% more expensive than in Atibaia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Atibaia 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.53 R$28.24

-17.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$27.54 R$141

67.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$5.67 R$29.00

55.91%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.97 R$10.08

55.33%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.20 R$6.13

-39.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.83 R$4.23

-51.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.82 R$9.28

33.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.64 R$13.50

43.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.06 R$5.40

113.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.61 R$8.23

12.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.35 R$6.90

66.67%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.83 R$14.47

-20.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.95 R$50.9

96.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.18 R$21.36

-12.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.87 R$45.35

47.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.69 R$8.61

91.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.21 R$6.18

33.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.09 R$5.59

118.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.40 R$7.16

45.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.09 R$5.58

40.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.19 R$6.10

26.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.94 R$4.80

4.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.74 R$3.81

-29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.10 R$10.75

111.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.47 R$38.20

145.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.40 R$7.18

32.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$2.04 R$10.43

31.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.88 R$4.50

60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$38.35 R$196

-69.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.28 R$6.54

142.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.07 R$5.45

-2.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$6.48 R$33.13

117.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.09 R$5.55

20.18%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$16.2K R$83.0K

71.24%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.5K R$140.7K

20.66%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$73.5 R$376

66.61%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$11.82 R$60.4

14.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$20.70 R$106

-9.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$21.65 R$111

179.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$17.78 R$90.9

-4.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$7.81 R$39.89

16.13%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$287 R$1,466

146.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$8,033 R$41.1K

96.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$46.47 R$237

26.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$34.60 R$177

2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$68.3 R$349

69.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$41.37 R$211

102.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$273 R$1,397

128.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$181 R$927

145.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$918 R$4,690

122.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$618 R$3,160

141.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,915 R$9,789

81.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,675 R$8,561

53.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$490 R$2,505

1.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.8

-45.61%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Atibaia: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $273 in Atibaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 2% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Atibaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $192 per month, with Atibaia 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

Phuket vs Atibaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Atibaia differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,250 vs $745 including rent). Atibaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Phuket, 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: $626 in Phuket versus $273 in Atibaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Atibaia – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $745 in Atibaia versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Atibaia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Atibaia 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, Phuket and Atibaia 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 Atibaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.