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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,196 in Barcelos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,944 in Barcelos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,692 in Barcelos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 6% more expensive than Barcelos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Barcelos 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$11.54 €9.93

-59.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$46.97 €40.41

-3.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.18 €7.90

-8.17%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.00 €1.72

46.50%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.00 €1.72

-65.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.44 €1.24

-74.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.22 €2.77

-25.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.57 €3.07

4.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.11 €0.95

100.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.77 €1.52

3.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.65 €1.42

31.52%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.11 €2.67

-28.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.20 €9.64

76.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$8.25 €7.10

-56.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$13.72 €11.80

-1.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.01 €1.73

63.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.44 €1.24

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.90 €1.63

26.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.97 €2.56

-29.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.36 €1.17

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.90 €1.63

-22.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.67 €1.44

-40.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.89 €0.77

-42.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.43 €5.53

-31.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$4.57 €3.93

324.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.18 €1.01

50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.33 €2.00

16.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$2.27 €1.95

-39.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$22.99 €19.78

-50.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$4.53 €3.90

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.20 €1.03

-17.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.46 €15.02

-19.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.95 €1.68

-30.26%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$37.2K €32.0K

-24.28%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$40.0K €34.4K

-17.64%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$139 €120

-12.40%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$21.75 €18.71

-37.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$41.42 €35.63

-55.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$38.64 €33.24

55.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$7.05 €6.06

143.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$8.41 €7.23

3.33%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$285 €245

143.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,824 €5,009

169.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$74.1 €63.7

-19.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$38.92 €33.48

-10.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$84.7 €72.9

35.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$98.6 €84.8

-15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$439 €377

39.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$349 €300

25.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$891 €766

135.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$730 €628

106.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,821 €2,427

32.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,593 €1,370

64.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,117 €961

-54.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.15

3.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Barcelos: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $439 in Barcelos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelos pays 120% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $47.00 in Barcelos. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $250, 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

Barcelos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Barcelos earns 120% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $439 in Barcelos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Barcelos – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,196 in Barcelos versus $1,265 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.

Expats usually find Barcelos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.