Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chapeco Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Chapeco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $828 in Chapeco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,304 in Chapeco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,780 in Chapeco.

Living in Phuket is roughly 53% more expensive than Chapeco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Chapeco 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$5.55 R$27.59

-16.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$34.75 R$173

33.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$5.36 R$26.66

61.94%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.78 R$8.83

65.73%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.69 R$3.45

1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.69 R$3.45

-43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.43 R$7.09

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.18 R$10.82

73.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$0.93 R$4.61

138.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.05 R$5.21

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.23 R$6.11

78.05%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.63 R$8.11

41.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.00 R$39.76

141.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$7.31 R$36.34

-48.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$7.41 R$36.85

78.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.07 R$10.27

60.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.06 R$5.28

55.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.20 R$5.96

90.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.44 R$7.18

38.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.93 R$4.64

64.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.09 R$5.44

38.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.70 R$3.46

47.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.66 R$3.29

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.37 R$11.78

86.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$9.96 R$49.48

94.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.21 R$6.00

48.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.02 R$10.04

32.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.78 R$3.89

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$38.60 R$192

-69.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.05 R$5.22

189.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.75 R$3.71

38.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$6.47 R$32.14

111.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.08 R$5.34

20.37%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$21.3K R$105.7K

31.14%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$26.3K R$130.8K

25.58%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$59.6 R$296

106.19%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$7.96 R$39.57

73.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$17.66 R$87.8

6.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$23.48 R$117

160.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$32.49 R$161

-48.26%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$6.48 R$32.22

36.88%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$273 R$1,359

154.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,540 R$32.5K

145.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$49.57 R$246

19.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$41.83 R$208

-16.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$74.8 R$372

51.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$65.2 R$324

30.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$283 R$1,405

117.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$255 R$1,268

75.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$559 R$2,779

272.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$459 R$2,282

225.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,705 R$8,476

118.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,094 R$5,439

143.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$445 R$2,213

19.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $283 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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: $46 in Phuket vs $35 in Chapeco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $188 per month, with Chapeco 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 Chapeco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chapeco wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chapeco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 20% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $283 in Chapeco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chapeco runs roughly 230% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $273 in Chapeco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $828 in Chapeco versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chapeco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Chapeco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chapeco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $828 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chapeco hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Chapeco 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 Chapeco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.