Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Belem Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Belem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $783 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,254 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,724 in Belem.

Living in Phuket is roughly 60% more expensive than in Belem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Belem 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$4.43 R$22.66

2.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$28.89 R$148

59.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$6.26 R$32.02

41.21%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.60 R$8.16

91.25%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.93 R$4.73

-21.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.47 R$2.38

-14.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.60 R$8.16

51.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.51 R$17.93

7.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.15 R$5.90

96.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$2.11 R$10.79

-14.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.25 R$6.36

80.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$1.98 R$10.11

13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$10.31 R$52.7

89.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.95 R$20.18

-7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$6.71 R$34.28

94.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.71 R$8.74

88.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.73 R$8.83

-6.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.29 R$6.59

84.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.46 R$7.47

39.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.92 R$4.72

66.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.55 R$2.81

172.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.03 R$5.27

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$1.35 R$6.88

-61.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.49 R$12.74

78.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$9.88 R$50.5

85.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.31 R$6.70

41.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$4.56 R$23.32

-41.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.74 R$3.80

90.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$21.48 R$110

-45.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.11 R$5.67

180.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$0.74 R$3.79

40.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$8.84 R$45.17

59.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.04 R$5.30

25.96%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$16.1K R$82.3K

72.70%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$29.0K R$148.0K

14.71%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$111 R$568

10.18%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$14.53 R$74.3

-6.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$21.28 R$109

-12.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$21.25 R$109

184.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$21.56 R$110

-21.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.21 R$31.76

46.05%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$101 R$514

602.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$3,082 R$15.7K

412.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$32.98 R$169

77.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$28.89 R$148

22.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$75.8 R$387

52.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$41.88 R$214

99.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$435 R$2,225

43.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$188 R$962

136.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$800 R$4,091

154.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$466 R$2,382

220.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$1,951 R$9,972

78.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,369 R$6,995

88.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$409 R$2,090

22.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.2

-56.31%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Belem: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $435 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 22% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $207 per month, with Belem 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 Belem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $435 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 84% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $101 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $783 in Belem versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Belem 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 Belem 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 Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.