Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Benguela

For one person, living is cheaper in Benguela: $59.1 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Benguela

🇦🇴 Angola

$59.1

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Benguela

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $59 in Benguela.

Phuket $1,278
Benguela $59

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $85 in Benguela.

Phuket $2,216
Benguela $85

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $111 in Benguela.

Phuket $3,154
Benguela $111

Living in Phuket is roughly 2062% more expensive than in Benguela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Benguela 96% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$2.80 AOA 2,560

59.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.10 AOA 10.1K

-20.63%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

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

$0.87 ฿29.42

$0.85 AOA 774

2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

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

$26.8K ฿903.7K

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

$26.7K ฿900.8K

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

$96.4 ฿3,252

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

$11.26 ฿380

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

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

$476 ฿16.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$3,735 AOA 3.4M

-86.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-77.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Benguela: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Benguela

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Benguela

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Benguela

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Benguela

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Benguela

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Benguela

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Benguela

–

Cost Breakdown

Benguela pays about 7.4 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇦🇴 Benguela

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

03:23 3:23 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

513,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Angolan Kwanza AOA Kz

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

10,000 AOA = 10.96 USD

10,000 AOA = 9.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AOA, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Angolan Kwanza exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 913 AOA (1,000 AOA = 1.1 USD). 1 EUR = 1,019 AOA (10,000 AOA = 9.81 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Benguela 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Benguela

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 Benguela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benguela wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Benguela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

At $59 in Benguela versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Benguela but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Benguela 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Benguela are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.