Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cotia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotia: $868 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Cotia, Brazil
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Cotia
🇧🇷 Brazil
$868
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Cotia

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $868 in Cotia, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Cotia $868

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $1,421 in Cotia, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Cotia $1,421

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,974 in Cotia, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Cotia $1,974

Phuket costs about 49% more than Cotia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Cotia are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Cotia 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Cotia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$6.41 R$35.19
-31.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,090
$37.71 R$207
-14.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿294
$8.32 R$45.65
4.57%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.9
$2.44 R$13.39
11.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.38
$1.32 R$7.25
-29.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.85
$1.08 R$5.94
-53.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.4
$2.66 R$14.60
-4.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$4.02 R$22.04
-9.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Cotia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.7
$1.12 R$6.12
55.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.93
$1.75 R$9.62
-17.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$1.15 R$6.32
30.43%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$2.68 R$14.69
-19.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿644
$11.26 R$61.8
69.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿115
$4.33 R$23.75
-21.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿368
$10.07 R$55.2
8.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿99.2
$2.53 R$13.91
16.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.66 R$9.12
1.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿74.0
$1.46 R$8.03
50.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.6
$1.76 R$9.65
20.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.19
$1.34 R$7.33
8.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.14
$1.21 R$6.63
13.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.29
$0.84 R$4.61
28.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.40
$0.69 R$3.79
-20.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$2.63 R$14.43
68.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿616
$8.28 R$45.46
120.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.8
$1.60 R$8.80
10.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿97.2
$2.31 R$12.70
24.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Cotia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.82
$0.94 R$5.18
54.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,851
$42.38 R$233
29.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.21 R$6.62
24.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.17
$0.89 R$4.90
-12.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$8.84 R$48.50
-56.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.2
$1.23 R$6.75
21.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿906.7K
$21.8K R$119.8K
23.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.6K
$31.7K R$174.0K
-16.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Cotia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,299
$41.28 R$227
136.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿381
$13.58 R$74.5
-16.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿580
$16.86 R$92.6
1.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Cotia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,305
$24.35 R$134
180.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿368
$25.53 R$140
-57.23%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿251
$7.35 R$40.32
1.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Cotia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.9K
$401 R$2,203
32.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿633.5K
$7,110 R$39.0K
164.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Cotia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,080
$52.8 R$290
16.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿953
$54.4 R$299
-48.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,238
$90.4 R$496
6.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,928
$78.9 R$433
10.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Cotia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.3K
$340 R$1,865
112.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.2K
$230 R$1,261
121.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.8K
$643 R$3,530
203.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.1K
$452 R$2,479
209.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿141.4K
$1,611 R$8,840
160.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿111.3K
$1,144 R$6,281
188.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Cotia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11.12
-49.91%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cotia: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Cotia
$230 54.8% $279
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Cotia
$214 19.8% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Cotia
$72 43.2% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Cotia
$124 1.4% $1.7
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Cotia
$136 14.2% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Cotia
$39 53.1% $44
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Cotia
$52 21.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $340 in Cotia. 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 in Phuket versus $38 in Cotia. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Phuket vs $214 in Cotia – so Cotia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇷 Cotia
🕒 Local time
10:35 10:35 AM
00:35 12:35 AM
10 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
274,413
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.72 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Cotia 15,930 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Cotia

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 Cotia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Cotia?
Phuket costs about 49% more than Cotia, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Phuket and in Cotia?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $1,301 in Cotia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Phuket or Cotia?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Cotia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $721 in Phuket.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Cotia?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $38 in Cotia. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Cotia?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,294 in Phuket and $868 in Cotia. That makes Cotia about 33% cheaper.
Can you live on $800/month in Phuket or in Cotia?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,294 in Phuket and $868 in Cotia. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Cotia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?