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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $827 in Chapeco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,292 in Chapeco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,756 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 6% lower, Chapeco 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$5.55 R$28.59

-15.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,489

$34.56 R$178

31.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$5.44 R$28.03

54.96%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.1

$1.78 R$9.15

64.61%

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

$0.69 ฿22.50

$0.71 R$3.65

-2.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.74 R$3.82

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.40 R$7.24

72.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.13 R$10.95

74.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.3

$1.01 R$5.19

120.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.06 R$5.45

72.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$1.27 R$6.55

70.87%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.59 R$8.20

38.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿648

$8.29 R$42.72

138.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.24 R$37.29

-49.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$7.35 R$37.86

84.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$2.15 R$11.08

52.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.9

$1.06 R$5.47

51.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.15 R$5.95

109.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.51 R$7.76

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.92 R$4.76

66.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.58

$1.06 R$5.46

39.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.44

$0.69 R$3.57

43.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.74

$0.62 R$3.19

-17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$2.32 R$11.94

90.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$9.81 R$50.6

97.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$1.21 R$6.22

47.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.0

$2.01 R$10.35

34.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.99

$0.85 R$4.39

61.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$39.03 R$201

-70.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.1

$1.10 R$5.69

174.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.63

$0.69 R$3.58

43.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$6.28 R$32.37

124.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.71

$1.07 R$5.49

27.10%

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

$28.2K ฿925.3K

$21.9K R$113.0K

28.58%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.7K R$137.3K

23.45%

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

$122 ฿3,993

$61.2 R$315

98.86%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$8.16 R$42.05

66.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿601

$17.87 R$92.1

2.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,976

$24.24 R$125

148.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$32.19 R$166

-46.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$6.28 R$32.35

38.38%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$271 R$1,398

155.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.7K

$6,479 R$33.4K

142.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,953

$48.91 R$252

21.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,141

$41.56 R$214

-16.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,760

$74.8 R$385

53.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,733

$64.8 R$334

28.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$284 R$1,464

115.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$259 R$1,332

69.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$566 R$2,914

270.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$465 R$2,397

224.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

$1,667 R$8,586

124.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

$1,084 R$5,583

141.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$439 R$2,261

15.77%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $284 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 16% 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 $35.00 in Chapeco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $189 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 16% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $284 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 243% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $271 in Chapeco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $827 in Chapeco versus $1,265 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 $827 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.