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 $969 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,551 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $2,132 in Brasilia.

Living in Phuket is roughly 31% more expensive than in Brasilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Brasilia 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$8.92 R$45.75

-47.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$38.80 R$199

-16.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$8.49 R$43.54

2.24%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.58 R$13.24

12.40%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.41 R$7.22

-40.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.90 R$4.62

-45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.36 R$12.07

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$3.87 R$19.83

-3.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.08 R$5.53

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$2.03 R$10.43

-30.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.28 R$6.58

26.56%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.43 R$12.45

-7.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$11.81 R$60.6

67.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.11 R$21.09

-15.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$8.48 R$43.47

34.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.42 R$12.39

19.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.46 R$7.47

17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.28 R$6.55

77.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.65 R$8.45

29.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.16 R$5.92

26.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.07 R$5.47

32.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.79 R$4.03

39.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.95 R$4.85

-36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.40 R$12.29

79.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$8.23 R$42.17

126.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.22 R$6.27

47.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.34 R$12.02

26.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.00 R$5.10

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$35.06 R$180

-33.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.07 R$5.47

189.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.92 R$4.73

17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$6.05 R$30.99

-36.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.31 R$6.73

9.16%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$23.3K R$119.6K

19.12%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$31.9K R$163.6K

-15.46%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$96.4 R$494

8.68%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$12.61 R$64.6

-9.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$21.81 R$112

-19.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$31.07 R$159

74.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$27.00 R$138

-57.63%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.68 R$39.38

1.30%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$822 R$4,214

-29.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$16.4K R$84.3K

-29.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$51.7 R$265

23.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$43.32 R$222

-32.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$83.3 R$427

15.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$86.4 R$443

4.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$479 R$2,453

53.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$258 R$1,322

94.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$1,116 R$5,719

90.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$557 R$2,855

124.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$2,457 R$12.6K

43.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,748 R$8,962

49.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$844 R$4,327

-39.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

12.12

-54.04%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $479 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $209, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $969 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Brasilia. 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: $733 in Phuket versus $479 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 $32.00 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 $969 in Brasilia – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $969 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 31% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.