Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Barretos

For one person, living is cheaper in Barretos: $845 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,207
/mo nomad
Barretos
🇧🇷 Brazil
$845
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Barretos

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 Barretos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $845 in Barretos, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,207
  • Barretos $845

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,367 in Barretos, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,037
  • Barretos $1,367

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,889 in Barretos, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,867
  • Barretos $1,889

Phuket costs about 43% more than Barretos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Barretos are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Barretos 37% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Barretos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.58 ฿153
$7.01 R$35.52
-34.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.48 ฿1,086
$23.95 R$121
35.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 ฿286
$6.09 R$30.86
40.39%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.0
$1.57 R$7.98
73.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.94 ฿31.25
$1.34 R$6.81
-29.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.39
$0.57 R$2.89
-14.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.59 ฿86.6
$2.48 R$12.56
4.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.83 ฿128
$2.96 R$15.02
29.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Barretos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.1
$1.03 R$5.22
68.93%
White Bread (500g)
$1.43 ฿47.82
$2.07 R$10.52
-30.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.0
$1.38 R$7.00
10.87%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿72.7
$2.58 R$13.10
-15.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.15 ฿640
$10.95 R$55.5
74.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿110
$4.92 R$24.93
-32.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.14 ฿372
$10.63 R$53.9
4.80%
Apples (1kg)
$2.95 ฿98.5
$2.41 R$12.21
22.41%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 ฿56.1
$1.72 R$8.74
-2.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.30 ฿76.8
$1.59 R$8.06
44.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.13 ฿71.3
$1.40 R$7.12
52.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.53 ฿51.1
$1.30 R$6.60
17.69%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 ฿45.55
$1.20 R$6.10
13.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 ฿37.44
$0.94 R$4.77
19.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.24
$0.83 R$4.19
-33.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 ฿142
$2.48 R$12.56
71.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.19 ฿608
$7.99 R$40.51
127.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ฿58.2
$1.55 R$7.86
12.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 ฿93.3
$2.60 R$13.18
7.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Barretos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.22 ฿74.1
$0.98 R$4.98
126.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.06 ฿737
$46.46 R$236
-52.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 ฿97.3
$1.19 R$6.02
144.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 ฿33.79
$0.76 R$3.87
32.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.83 ฿128
$8.64 R$43.80
-55.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿49.85
$1.00 R$5.06
49.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K ฿891.6K
$23.5K R$119.2K
13.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿892.7K
$31.9K R$161.9K
-16.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Barretos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.4 ฿3,321
$30.25 R$153
228.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.28 ฿377
$6.04 R$30.62
86.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.36 ฿580
$15.91 R$80.7
9.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Barretos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.3 ฿1,747
$24.93 R$126
109.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 ฿362
$28.30 R$143
-61.66%
Cinema Ticket
$7.57 ฿253
$8.01 R$40.60
-5.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Barretos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$558 ฿18.7K
$435 R$2,206
28.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.5K ฿383.9K
$11.1K R$56.2K
3.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Barretos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.9 ฿2,102
$66.2 R$335
-4.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.58 ฿955
$23.73 R$120
20.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.1 ฿3,213
$88.8 R$450
8.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.1 ฿2,943
$69.8 R$354
26.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Barretos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$729 ฿24.4K
$343 R$1,739
112.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$460 ฿15.4K
$245 R$1,242
87.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,096 ฿70.0K
$715 R$3,625
193.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 ฿40.8K
$492 R$2,494
148.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,459 ฿115.6K
$1,620 R$8,215
113.45%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,489 ฿83.2K
$1,235 R$6,259
101.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Barretos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$493 ฿16.5K
$569 R$2,883
-13.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
10.81
-48.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Barretos: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$460
Barretos
$245 46.7% $215
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$268
Barretos
$221 17.4% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$128
Barretos
$52 59.2% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$124
Barretos
$112 9.9% $12
Eating Out
Phuket
$121
Barretos
$119 1.8% $2.1
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$67
Barretos
$41 39.3% $26
Getting Around
Phuket
$39
Barretos
$55 42.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $343 in Barretos. 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 15% higher in Barretos, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $24.00 in Barretos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $221 – making Barretos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇷 Barretos
🕒 Local time
18:47 6:47 PM
08:47 8:47 AM
10 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
122,485
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Barretos 16,200 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Barretos

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 Barretos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Barretos compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,207 in Phuket, $845 in Barretos – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Barretos?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,268 in Barretos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Barretos?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Barretos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket and $24.00 in Barretos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Barretos?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,207 in Phuket and $845 in Barretos. That's a gap of about 43%.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Barretos, where all-in costs run around $845, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Barretos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Barretos?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $845 in Barretos to $1,207 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Phuket or Barretos safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Phuket and Barretos?
If budget matters most, go with Barretos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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