Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cuiaba Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Cuiaba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $816 in Cuiaba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,252 in Cuiaba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,689 in Cuiaba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than Cuiaba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Cuiaba 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$3.54 R$17.93

32.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$17.96 R$90.9

152.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.08 R$30.77

38.65%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.62 R$8.18

80.86%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.96 R$4.87

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.61 R$3.10

-39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.24 R$6.30

94.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.19 R$11.06

69.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.06 R$5.38

110.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.51 R$7.65

21.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.67 R$8.43

29.94%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$3.20 R$16.20

-30.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$11.24 R$56.9

75.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.45 R$22.49

-18.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$10.13 R$51.3

33.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.16 R$10.90

51.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.70 R$8.59

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.78 R$8.99

35.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.26 R$11.44

-7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.09 R$10.58

-26.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.59 R$8.06

-6.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.68 R$3.46

45.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$1.27 R$6.44

-59.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.08 R$10.50

112.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$10.17 R$51.4

90.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.76 R$8.92

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.24 R$11.32

20.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.88 R$4.46

55.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$38.75 R$196

-70.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.05 R$5.32

187.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.74 R$3.77

33.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$6.22 R$31.49

126.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.00 R$5.06

36.00%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$21.0K R$106.4K

34.06%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.7K R$140.2K

18.71%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$61.3 R$310

98.56%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$18.30 R$92.6

-25.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$23.56 R$119

-22.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$22.56 R$114

166.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$19.91 R$101

-13.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.37 R$22.09

98.86%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$248 R$1,256

179.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$5,108 R$25.8K

207.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$50.6 R$256

17.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$45.86 R$232

-24.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$137 R$695

-16.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$62.7 R$317

32.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$285 R$1,444

114.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$192 R$973

127.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$564 R$2,854

271.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$316 R$1,599

377.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,279 R$6,469

193.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$800 R$4,047

227.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$426 R$2,155

19.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

18.5

-71.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cuiaba: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $285 in Cuiaba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 19% 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 $18.00 in Cuiaba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $232 per month, with Cuiaba 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 Cuiaba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cuiaba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 19% 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 $285 in Cuiaba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuiaba – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $816 in Cuiaba – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $816 in Cuiaba versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cuiaba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Cuiaba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cuiaba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $816 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cuiaba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Cuiaba 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 Cuiaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.