Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Belem

For one person, living is cheaper in Belem: $877 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Belem
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Belem Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Belem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$877

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Belem

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $877 in Belem.

Phuket $1,278
Belem $877

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,329 in Belem.

Phuket $2,216
Belem $1,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,781 in Belem.

Phuket $3,154
Belem $1,781

Living in Phuket is roughly 46% more expensive than in Belem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Belem 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$4.66 R$25.35

-4.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$18.25 R$99.3

77.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.54 R$35.60

34.71%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.72 R$9.38

64.53%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$0.99 R$5.40

-12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.44 R$2.38

11.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$1.50 R$8.19

70.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.17 R$11.83

69.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.29 R$6.99

28.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$2.33 R$12.67

-37.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.25 R$6.77

20.00%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.98 R$10.79

5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$8.44 R$45.93

125.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$4.12 R$22.39

-19.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.25 R$39.42

50.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.24 R$12.18

30.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.32 R$7.19

28.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.39 R$7.56

61.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.56 R$8.46

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$0.97 R$5.27

55.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$0.54 R$2.92

155.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.26 R$6.88

-15.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.37 R$7.44

-62.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.45 R$13.34

71.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$9.32 R$50.7

101.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.33 R$7.26

36.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$4.52 R$24.61

-37.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$0.90 R$4.90

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$31.93 R$174

77.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.10 R$5.99

174.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$1.10 R$5.96

-7.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$7.92 R$43.10

-53.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$1.15 R$6.28

27.83%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$21.8K R$118.7K

22.68%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$30.0K R$163.3K

-11.10%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$93.5 R$509

3.04%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$10.82 R$58.9

4.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$29.78 R$162

-43.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$20.33 R$111

230.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$36.96 R$201

-70.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.46 R$40.58

0.54%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$104 R$567

356.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$3,250 R$17.7K

246.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$30.81 R$168

102.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$41.86 R$228

-32.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$75.6 R$411

24.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$61.4 R$334

39.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$503 R$2,738

42.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$267 R$1,451

84.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$837 R$4,555

130.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$485 R$2,640

194.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$1,865 R$10.1K

123.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$1,302 R$7,081

133.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$386 R$2,101

30.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.48

-51.48%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Belem: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Belem

$267 30.4% 45.7% $224

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Belem

$209 23.8% 21.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Belem

$134 15.3% 7.7% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Belem

$94 10.8% 22.6% $28

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Belem

$95 10.9% 21.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Belem

$35 4% 57.1% $47

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Belem

$42 4.8% 40.3% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $503 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 30% 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: $32 in Phuket vs $18 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $209 per month, with Belem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Belem

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

00:45 12:45 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

1,303,403

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Belem 16,280 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Belem

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 Belem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $503 in Belem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 44% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $104 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $877 in Belem versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Belem 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.

Expats usually find Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.