Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cascais Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cascais

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,195 in Cascais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $3,513 in Cascais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $4,831 in Cascais.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 42% less than in Cascais, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Cascais is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$14.14 €12.17

-66.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$46.31 €39.87

-2.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$9.08 €7.82

-7.16%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$2.89 €2.49

1.38%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$2.15 €1.85

-67.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$1.50 €1.29

-75.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.25 €1.93

7.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.46 €2.97

7.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.07 €0.92

108.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.83 €1.57

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.88 €1.62

15.43%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$3.08 €2.65

-28.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.13 €9.58

77.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.77 €6.69

-53.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$14.43 €12.42

-6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.48 €2.14

32.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.70 €1.47

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.96 €1.69

22.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.90 €2.50

-28.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.46 €1.26

4.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$2.05 €1.77

-27.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.72 €1.48

-42.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.94 €0.81

-45.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.07 €5.22

-27.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$7.96 €6.85

143.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.27 €1.09

40.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.64 €2.27

2.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$2.67 €2.29

-48.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$46.99 €40.46

-75.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$4.06 €3.49

-25.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.86 €0.74

15.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$14.53 €12.51

-2.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.98 €1.71

-31.31%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$34.9K €30.0K

-19.11%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$40.0K €34.5K

-17.80%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$147 €127

-17.26%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$21.49 €18.50

-36.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$41.98 €36.14

-56.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$68.9 €59.3

-12.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$11.37 €9.79

50.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$8.42 €7.25

3.21%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$616 €530

12.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$16.2K €13.9K

-3.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$87.5 €75.3

-31.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$38.42 €33.08

-9.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$92.7 €79.8

23.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$94.1 €81.0

-11.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,712 €1,474

-64.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$1,277 €1,100

-65.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$3,794 €3,266

-44.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$2,605 €2,243

-42.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$7,217 €6,213

-48.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$5,058 €4,354

-48.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$2,300 €1,980

-77.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.81

39.90%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cascais: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,712 in Cascais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cascais pays 353% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $46.00 in Cascais. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $263, with Cascais 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 Cascais: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cascais earns 353% 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 $1,712 in Cascais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Cascais pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $46.00 in Cascais. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,195 in Cascais, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Cascais. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cascais, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cascais 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Cascais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.