Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Costa da Caparica

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,615 in Costa da Caparica, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Costa da Caparica, Portugal
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Costa da Caparica
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,615
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Costa da Caparica

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 Costa da Caparica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,615 in Costa da Caparica.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Costa da Caparica $1,615

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,360 in Costa da Caparica.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Costa da Caparica $2,360

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,105 in Costa da Caparica.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Costa da Caparica $3,105

Living in Phuket costs roughly 21% less than in Costa da Caparica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Costa da Caparica is 19% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Costa da Caparica
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$11.39 €10.18
-60.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$46.52 €41.55
-30.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$9.19 €8.20
-4.13%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.3
$2.06 €1.84
37.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.37
$1.83 €1.64
-52.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.64
$1.38 €1.23
-64.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$2.33 €2.08
9.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.52 €3.15
4.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Costa da Caparica
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.09 €0.98
52.29%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.25
$1.54 €1.38
-5.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$1.61 €1.44
-6.83%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$2.97 €2.65
-29.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$11.50 €10.28
65.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$7.90 €7.05
-58.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$13.90 €12.42
-21.51%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$2.30 €2.05
27.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.47 €1.31
14.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$1.84 €1.65
22.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$2.49 €2.22
-16.47%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$1.47 €1.31
2.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.47
$1.84 €1.64
-25.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.91
$1.55 €1.38
-30.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.49
$0.86 €0.77
-39.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$6.05 €5.41
-30.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$5.09 €4.55
269.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.30 €1.16
40.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$2.36 €2.11
20.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Costa da Caparica
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$2.35 €2.10
-38.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
$41.66 €37.21
36.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$4.28 €3.82
-29.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.29
$0.80 €0.72
27.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$17.45 €15.59
-78.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.70
$1.90 €1.69
-22.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.4K
$34.9K €31.2K
-23.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.5K
$40.2K €35.9K
-33.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Costa da Caparica
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,247
$134 €119
-27.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$21.44 €19.15
-47.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$42.62 €38.07
-60.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Costa da Caparica
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,266
$44.74 €39.96
50.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
$17.40 €15.54
-38.33%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$8.61 €7.69
-12.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Costa da Caparica
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$466 €416
2.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.6K
$8,381 €7,486
34.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Costa da Caparica
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,102
$74.4 €66.4
-16.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$39.29 €35.09
-27.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,178
$92.9 €83.0
1.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,892
$93.6 €83.6
-8.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Costa da Caparica
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$938 €837
-23.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$739 €660
-33.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$1,495 €1,336
28.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$1,154 €1,030
24.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
$2,965 €2,649
40.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
$2,339 €2,089
30.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Costa da Caparica
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
5.01
11.18%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Costa da Caparica: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Costa da Caparica
$739 50.6% $249
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Costa da Caparica
$246 7.4% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Costa da Caparica
$198 58.9% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Costa da Caparica
$135 10.8% $13
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Costa da Caparica
$175 43.8% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Costa da Caparica
$62 24.7% $20
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Costa da Caparica
$59 15.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $938 in Costa da Caparica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $47 in Costa da Caparica. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $246, with Costa da Caparica cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇹 Costa da Caparica
🕒 Local time
14:05 2:05 PM
07:05 7:05 AM
7 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
13,972
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.77 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Costa da Caparica 10,960 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Costa da Caparica

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 Costa da Caparica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Phuket and in Costa da Caparica?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,278 in Phuket and $1,615 in Costa da Caparica, so Phuket is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Costa da Caparica?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $2,423 in Costa da Caparica to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Phuket and in Costa da Caparica?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $938 in Costa da Caparica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $47 in Costa da Caparica. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Phuket or Costa da Caparica?
All in, you’ll spend $1,278 per month in Phuket versus $1,615 in Costa da Caparica – Phuket is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,615 in Costa da Caparica, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Costa da Caparica. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Costa da Caparica?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Phuket or Costa da Caparica safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Costa da Caparica are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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