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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $793 in Atibaia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,426 in Atibaia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,059 in Atibaia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than in Atibaia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Atibaia 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$7.68 R$39.18

-40.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$30.94 R$158

5.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$6.59 R$33.59

35.05%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.18 R$11.14

28.44%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$1.34 R$6.82

-34.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.87 R$4.42

-43.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.98 R$10.12

20.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.91 R$14.83

27.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.06 R$5.43

68.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.86 R$9.49

-22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.30 R$6.65

21.54%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.40 R$12.24

-11.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$10.33 R$52.7

92.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.79 R$24.41

-28.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.61 R$49.02

17.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.09 R$10.63

41.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.26 R$6.45

36.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.15 R$5.84

101.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.50 R$7.67

38.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.15 R$5.84

27.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.28 R$6.52

6.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.92 R$4.72

19.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.79 R$4.02

-27.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.35 R$11.98

81.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$7.60 R$38.74

142.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.35 R$6.88

38.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$1.93 R$9.82

51.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.99 R$5.06

124.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.46 R$7.42

107.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$1.58 R$8.03

-32.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$17.49 R$89.2

-77.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.25 R$6.39

19.20%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$19.8K R$100.9K

37.10%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$30.7K R$156.7K

-10.67%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$78.6 R$401

30.84%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$12.01 R$61.2

-8.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$21.29 R$109

-17.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$22.92 R$117

133.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$19.30 R$98.4

-41.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$8.48 R$43.24

-11.79%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$275 R$1,403

102.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$9,766 R$49.8K

21.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$53.6 R$273

19.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$35.65 R$182

-18.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$72.7 R$371

31.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$57.2 R$292

57.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$284 R$1,448

157.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$194 R$987

158.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$955 R$4,871

118.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$677 R$3,455

78.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,935 R$9,868

85.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,628 R$8,301

54.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$487 R$2,482

3.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.79

-56.45%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Atibaia: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $284 in Atibaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 3% 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: $33.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Atibaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $203 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 58% in total monthly costs ($1,253 vs $793 including rent). Atibaia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $730 in Phuket versus $284 in Atibaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $275 in Atibaia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Atibaia – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $33.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $793 in Atibaia versus $1,253 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 58% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.