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: $1,232 in Phuket versus $920 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,413 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,906 in Belem.

Living in Phuket is roughly 34% more expensive than in Belem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Belem 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.78 R$24.63

-7.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$19.78 R$102

63.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.94 R$35.73

28.67%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.01 R$10.38

44.28%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.03 R$5.31

-14.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.51 R$2.64

-5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.52 R$7.81

54.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.29 R$11.81

62.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.29 R$6.66

44.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.41 R$12.41

-39.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.29 R$6.65

20.16%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.09 R$10.77

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$9.12 R$47.01

114.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.46 R$22.96

-23.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.59 R$39.10

49.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$2.23 R$11.47

33.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.38 R$7.10

21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.44 R$7.43

53.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.67 R$8.61

29.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.02 R$5.23

49.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.61 R$3.12

119.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.29 R$6.62

-12.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.38 R$7.14

-60.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.68 R$13.80

58.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$9.67 R$49.83

97.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.41 R$7.29

26.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$4.82 R$24.85

-42.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.88 R$4.52

153.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$33.74 R$174

-32.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.15 R$5.95

163.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.19 R$6.16

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.21 R$42.29

-52.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.25 R$6.46

19.20%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.8K R$117.6K

16.48%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$31.6K R$162.8K

-14.48%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$98.3 R$506

4.23%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$11.06 R$57.0

2.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$30.50 R$157

-42.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$21.09 R$109

146.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$38.56 R$199

-71.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.67 R$39.49

0.26%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$112 R$576

401.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$3,359 R$17.3K

242.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$31.67 R$163

99.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$43.49 R$224

-32.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$81.7 R$421

20.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$65.4 R$337

35.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$531 R$2,733

39.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$275 R$1,415

75.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$860 R$4,429

145.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$517 R$2,665

136.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,952 R$10.1K

85.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,408 R$7,255

84.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$405 R$2,088

21.78%

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: September 15, 2026

Last update for Belem: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $531 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $20.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $219 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 34% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $531 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 48% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $112 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $920 in Belem versus $1,232 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 34% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.