Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cotia Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cotia

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,270 per month in Phuket vs $800 in Cotia, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,304 per month in Phuket vs $1,286 in Cotia, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,339 per month in Phuket vs $1,772 in Cotia, rent included.

Phuket costs about 59% more than Cotia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Cotia are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 5% lower, Cotia 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$6.42 R$31.91

-27.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$33.40 R$166

39.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$7.27 R$36.12

19.39%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.80 R$8.94

63.89%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.25 R$6.22

-44.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.84 R$4.18

-53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.81 R$9.00

39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.81 R$13.97

34.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.02 R$5.05

117.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.56 R$7.76

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.27 R$6.31

72.44%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.33 R$11.56

-0.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.41 R$41.79

129.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$3.77 R$18.75

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$8.63 R$42.88

53.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.16 R$10.74

54.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.80 R$8.94

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.41 R$7.03

62.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.55 R$7.70

28.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.32 R$6.55

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.08 R$5.37

39.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.75 R$3.72

37.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.61 R$3.04

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.46 R$12.23

79.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$9.65 R$47.97

101.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.35 R$6.72

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.39 R$11.88

12.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.87 R$4.33

64.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$38.17 R$190

-69.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$0.89 R$4.41

241.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.71 R$3.52

46.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$8.73 R$43.38

56.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.00 R$4.99

30.00%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$22.0K R$109.6K

26.55%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$28.1K R$139.8K

17.44%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$47.87 R$238

156.88%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$13.20 R$65.6

4.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$18.87 R$93.8

-0.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$22.10 R$110

176.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$21.19 R$105

-20.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$5.34 R$26.54

66.10%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$316 R$1,572

120.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,979 R$34.7K

130.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$51.3 R$255

15.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$42.70 R$212

-18.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$78.4 R$390

44.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$70.9 R$353

19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$319 R$1,588

92.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$217 R$1,080

106.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$586 R$2,915

255.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$424 R$2,107

252.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,704 R$8,468

119.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,192 R$5,925

123.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

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 Cotia: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $615 in Phuket versus $319 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 $46 in Phuket versus $33 in Cotia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $192 – making Cotia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Phuket costs about 59% more than Cotia, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,904 per month in Phuket and $1,199 in Cotia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Phuket and $33.00 in Cotia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,270 in Phuket and $800 in Cotia. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cotia, where all-in costs run around $800, than in Phuket at $1,270. In Cotia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cotia costs $800 versus $1,270 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 Cotia. 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.