Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Contenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Contenda: $870 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Contenda
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Contenda Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Contenda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$870

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Contenda

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

A single person spends $1,207 per month in Phuket vs $870 in Contenda, rent included.

Phuket $1,207
Contenda $870

A couple spends around $2,037 per month in Phuket vs $1,325 in Contenda, rent included.

Phuket $2,037
Contenda $1,325

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Phuket vs $1,780 in Contenda, rent included.

Phuket $2,867
Contenda $1,780

Phuket costs about 39% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Contenda are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Contenda 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.58 ฿154

$3.92 R$19.65

16.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.48 ฿1,090

$11.83 R$59.4

174.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 ฿287

$8.16 R$40.93

4.78%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.3

$2.40 R$12.05

13.33%

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

$0.94 ฿31.37

$1.38 R$6.94

-31.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.46

$0.61 R$3.07

-19.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.9

$1.96 R$9.82

32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿129

$1.96 R$9.83

95.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.07 R$5.36

62.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ฿48.01

$1.63 R$8.17

-12.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.2

$1.34 R$6.71

14.18%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$2.57 R$12.88

-15.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 ฿642

$9.99 R$50.1

91.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.96 R$19.86

-16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿374

$8.05 R$40.41

38.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿98.9

$2.44 R$12.25

20.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.3

$1.19 R$5.97

41.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 ฿77.1

$1.18 R$5.90

94.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿71.6

$1.38 R$6.94

54.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.3

$0.97 R$4.89

57.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿45.73

$0.93 R$4.68

46.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ฿37.59

$0.82 R$4.11

36.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.31

$0.72 R$3.60

-23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿143

$3.02 R$15.16

41.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 ฿610

$3.96 R$19.86

359.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$1.48 R$7.40

17.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.7

$2.02 R$10.13

38.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿74.3

$0.99 R$4.98

124.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿740

$43.35 R$218

-49.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 ฿97.7

$1.19 R$5.96

144.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 ฿33.93

$1.03 R$5.16

-1.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 ฿128

$10.19 R$51.1

-62.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.0

$1.22 R$6.12

22.13%

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

$26.7K ฿895.1K

$18.3K R$91.7K

46.01%

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

$26.7K ฿896.1K

$21.8K R$109.4K

22.46%

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

$99.4 ฿3,334

$84.0 R$422

18.24%

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

$11.28 ฿379

$8.20 R$41.16

37.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.36 ฿582

$20.25 R$102

-14.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 ฿1,754

$26.41 R$133

97.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.85 ฿364

$27.34 R$137

-60.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ฿254

$8.14 R$40.85

-7.00%

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

$558 ฿18.7K

$284 R$1,425

96.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿385.4K

$11.1K R$55.7K

3.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ฿2,110

$66.3 R$332

-5.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.58 ฿959

$71.0 R$356

-59.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 ฿3,226

$114 R$573

-15.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 ฿2,954

$70.9 R$356

24.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 ฿24.5K

$343 R$1,719

112.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 ฿15.4K

$226 R$1,133

103.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,096 ฿70.3K

$743 R$3,725

182.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 ฿41.0K

$424 R$2,129

188.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,459 ฿116.0K

$1,493 R$7,488

131.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 ฿83.5K

$1,359 R$6,819

83.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$493 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.61

-47.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Last update for Contenda: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$460 38.1%

Contenda

$226 26% 50.9% $234

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.2%

Contenda

$183 21.1% 31.4% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$128 10.6%

Contenda

$113 12.9% 12.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Contenda

$145 16.7% 17% $21

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10.1%

Contenda

$106 12.2% 12.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$67 5.6%

Contenda

$43 4.9% 36.7% $25

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.2%

Contenda

$54 6.2% 38% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $729 in Phuket versus $343 in Contenda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $12.00 in Contenda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $183 – making Contenda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Contenda

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

15:28 3:28 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

19,128

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 33.55 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Contenda 16,090 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Contenda

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 Contenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 39% more than Contenda, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,811 per month in Phuket and $1,304 in Contenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contenda, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $558 per month in Phuket and $284 in Contenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Phuket, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Contenda, where all-in costs run around $870, than in Phuket at $1,207. In Contenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Contenda costs $870 versus $1,207 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Contenda. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.