Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Castelo Branco

For one person, living is cheaper in Castelo Branco: $1,100 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Castelo Branco
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Castelo Branco Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Castelo Branco

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Castelo Branco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,207 in Phuket versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco.

Phuket $1,207
Castelo Branco $1,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,037 in Phuket versus $1,666 in Castelo Branco.

Phuket $2,037
Castelo Branco $1,666

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Phuket versus $2,233 in Castelo Branco.

Phuket $2,867
Castelo Branco $2,233

Living in Phuket is roughly 10% more expensive than in Castelo Branco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Castelo Branco 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿153

$11.29 €10.05

-59.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,086

$39.12 €34.80

-16.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿286

$9.62 €8.56

-11.12%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.0

$1.25 €1.11

117.60%

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

$0.94 ฿31.25

$1.41 €1.25

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.39

$1.26 €1.12

-61.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$1.09 €0.97

137.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.20 €1.96

74.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$1.17 €1.04

48.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿47.82

$1.30 €1.16

10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.0

$1.45 €1.29

5.52%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$3.87 €3.44

-43.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿640

$8.76 €7.79

118.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿110

$5.80 €5.16

-43.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿372

$8.58 €7.63

29.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.5

$2.11 €1.88

39.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.31 €1.17

28.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿76.8

$1.75 €1.56

31.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.3

$2.30 €2.05

-7.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.1

$1.65 €1.47

-7.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.55

$1.45 €1.29

-6.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.44

$1.14 €1.02

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.81 €0.72

-32.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$5.97 €5.31

-28.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿608

$3.39 €3.01

436.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.2

$1.17 €1.04

48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

$1.95 €1.73

43.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.1

$1.25 €1.11

77.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

$22.20 €19.75

-0.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.3

$2.25 €2.00

29.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.79

$0.74 €0.66

36.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$16.67 €14.83

-77.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.85

$2.04 €1.82

-26.96%

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

$26.7K ฿891.6K

$33.5K €29.8K

-20.38%

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

$26.7K ฿892.7K

$40.5K €36.0K

-34.02%

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

$99.4 ฿3,321

$120 €106

-16.95%

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

$11.28 ฿377

$19.03 €16.92

-40.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿580

$31.99 €28.45

-45.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,747

$39.32 €34.97

32.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿253

$6.70 €5.96

12.99%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$678 €603

-17.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.9K

$16.9K €15.1K

-32.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,102

$78.7 €70.0

-20.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿955

$44.71 €39.77

-36.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,213

$82.1 €73.0

17.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,943

$67.6 €60.2

30.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.4K

$458 €407

59.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$363 €323

26.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.0K

$796 €708

163.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿40.8K

$605 €538

101.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿115.6K

$1,574 €1,400

119.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.2K

$1,322 €1,176

88.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

$1,617 €1,438

-69.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.85

44.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Castelo Branco: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Castelo Branco

$363 33% 21.1% $97

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Castelo Branco

$203 18.4% 24.2% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Castelo Branco

$171 15.5% 33.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Castelo Branco

$123 11.2% 0.9% $1.1

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Castelo Branco

$155 14.1% 27.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Castelo Branco

$53 4.8% 21.8% $15

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Castelo Branco

$33 3% 14.7% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $729 in Phuket and $458 in Castelo Branco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castelo Branco pays 228% 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 Castelo Branco. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $203, with Castelo Branco cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇹 Castelo Branco

🕒 Local time

22:21 10:21 PM

16:21 4:21 PM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

52,291

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Phuket Castelo Branco 10,780 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Castelo Branco

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 Castelo Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castelo Branco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 228% lower in Castelo Branco. 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: $729 in Phuket versus $458 in Castelo Branco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,207 per month in Phuket versus $1,100 in Castelo Branco – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Castelo Branco runs roughly 1% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,100 in Castelo Branco versus $1,207 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Castelo Branco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Castelo Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco 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 Castelo Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.