Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Barcelos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Barcelos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,231 in Barcelos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,943 in Barcelos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,655 in Barcelos.

Monthly costs are close between Phuket and Barcelos; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Barcelos 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$11.49 €9.96

-61.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$49.26 €42.69

-34.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$9.37 €8.12

-4.70%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$1.92 €1.66

51.04%

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

$0.88 ฿29.29

$2.08 €1.80

-57.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$1.35 €1.17

-64.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$3.49 €3.03

-32.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.82 €2.44

31.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.13 €0.98

65.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.78

$1.92 €1.67

-23.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.81 €1.57

-14.36%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$3.53 €3.06

-40.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$12.08 €10.47

62.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.91 €6.86

-56.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$14.88 €12.89

-23.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.05 €1.77

45.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.47 €1.27

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.83 €1.58

20.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$2.50 €2.17

-13.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.76 €1.52

-13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.52

$1.89 €1.64

-29.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.55

$1.65 €1.43

-31.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.18

$1.00 €0.87

-45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.80 €5.89

-37.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$4.61 €3.99

314.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.26 €1.09

41.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.28 €1.98

21.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$2.35 €2.04

-5.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$23.11 €20.03

-1.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$4.44 €3.85

-31.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.04

$1.53 €1.32

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$17.35 €15.04

-77.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.60

$2.22 €1.92

-32.88%

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

$26.6K ฿884.4K

$34.6K €29.9K

-23.08%

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

$27.0K ฿899.3K

$39.3K €34.1K

-31.24%

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

$102 ฿3,409

$113 €98.1

-9.51%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$18.43 €15.97

-38.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$44.68 €38.72

-61.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,733

$39.31 €34.07

32.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$6.98 €6.05

58.60%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$9.41 €8.15

-18.28%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$351 €304

59.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.8K

$6,587 €5,708

74.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,097

$76.2 €66.0

-17.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$38.52 €33.38

-23.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,261

$82.3 €71.4

19.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,944

$107 €92.8

-17.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$526 €456

40.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$366 €317

31.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$934 €810

125.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$722 €625

69.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$2,760 €2,392

31.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.6K

$1,531 €1,326

70.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,116 €967

-55.77%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Barcelos: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $526 in Barcelos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelos pays 126% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Barcelos. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $259, with Barcelos cheaper for home cooking.

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 Barcelos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 126% lower in Barcelos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $526 in Barcelos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Barcelos runs roughly 2% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,231 in Barcelos versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barcelos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barcelos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Barcelos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Barcelos wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.