Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Curitiba Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Curitiba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $842 in Curitiba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,360 in Curitiba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,878 in Curitiba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 48% more expensive than in Curitiba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Curitiba 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.46 R$27.82

-16.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$31.78 R$162

45.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.25 R$31.81

41.44%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.02 R$10.31

51.49%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.08 R$5.50

-32.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.68 R$3.44

-41.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.20 R$11.19

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.19 R$16.25

18.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.92 R$4.67

145.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.41 R$7.17

28.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.19 R$6.07

89.08%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.12 R$10.77

6.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.23 R$41.88

137.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.78 R$19.25

-3.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.65 R$38.96

70.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.07 R$10.52

56.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.96 R$4.87

68.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.97 R$4.93

145.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.20 R$6.13

69.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.01 R$5.16

51.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.93 R$4.76

61.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.61 R$3.09

60.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.66 R$3.36

-21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.19 R$11.14

102.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$7.66 R$38.99

139.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.17 R$5.96

58.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.27 R$11.53

18.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$1.05 R$5.36

34.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$47.01 R$239

-75.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.10 R$5.58

182.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.71 R$3.63

46.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$6.40 R$32.61

120.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.17 R$5.93

11.97%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$18.4K R$93.9K

50.81%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.2K R$133.6K

26.55%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$72.7 R$370

68.46%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$11.43 R$58.2

18.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$21.22 R$108

-11.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$26.04 R$133

132.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$16.67 R$84.9

1.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$6.48 R$33.01

39.97%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$286 R$1,454

147.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$6,461 R$32.9K

144.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$54.6 R$278

7.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$44.98 R$229

-21.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$82.1 R$418

40.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$69.2 R$352

20.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$359 R$1,826

74.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$247 R$1,259

79.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$671 R$3,414

204.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$494 R$2,514

202.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$2,373 R$12.1K

46.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,736 R$8,837

48.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$639 R$3,252

-21.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-51.55%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Curitiba: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $359 in Curitiba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Curitiba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $170 per month, with Curitiba 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 Curitiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curitiba wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Curitiba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Curitiba. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $359 in Curitiba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Curitiba runs roughly 302% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $286 in Curitiba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $842 in Curitiba versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Curitiba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Curitiba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Curitiba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $842 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Curitiba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Curitiba 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 Curitiba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.