Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $862 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,428 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,993 in Brasilia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than Brasilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$7.02 R$35.53

-33.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$38.86 R$197

16.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.32 R$32.01

33.39%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.96 R$9.91

49.49%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.18 R$5.96

-41.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.86 R$4.35

-56.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.85 R$9.39

30.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.18 R$16.08

16.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.99 R$5.04

125.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.60 R$8.09

14.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.41 R$7.15

53.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.04 R$10.31

8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.45 R$47.87

108.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.40 R$17.21

6.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.04 R$35.63

92.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.96 R$9.93

67.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.40 R$7.11

15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.20 R$6.09

100.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.66 R$8.39

25.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.24 R$6.28

23.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.31 R$6.61

12.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.81 R$4.08

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.63 R$3.19

-19.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.13 R$10.78

107.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$9.02 R$45.69

114.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.10 R$5.59

61.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.39 R$12.09

13.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$1.03 R$5.21

33.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$44.41 R$225

-74.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.94 R$4.77

221.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.81 R$4.08

22.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$5.57 R$28.21

153.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.12 R$5.68

21.43%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$25.0K R$126.6K

12.77%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.1K R$147.4K

13.02%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$72.2 R$366

68.49%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$13.08 R$66.2

3.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$20.40 R$103

-10.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$24.97 R$126

141.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$21.29 R$108

-19.49%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.08 R$35.84

22.74%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$488 R$2,473

41.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$15.0K R$75.9K

4.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$58.3 R$295

2.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$41.97 R$213

-17.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$69.8 R$353

64.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$65.2 R$330

27.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$408 R$2,064

50.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$260 R$1,318

67.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$949 R$4,803

120.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$562 R$2,845

168.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,540 R$12.9K

47.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$1,714 R$8,678

52.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$846 R$4,285

-39.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.87

-55.10%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $408 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $183 per month, with Brasilia 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 Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Brasilia differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $862 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Brasilia earns 67% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $408 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $862 in Brasilia – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $862 in Brasilia versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia 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 Brasilia 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 Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.