Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dourados Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Dourados

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $787 in Dourados.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $1,238 in Dourados.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,689 in Dourados.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than Dourados, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Dourados 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$5.27 R$26.17

-11.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$27.12 R$135

71.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$6.28 R$31.19

38.22%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.79 R$8.91

64.80%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$1.08 R$5.36

-35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.66 R$3.29

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.85 R$9.19

36.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$2.72 R$13.53

38.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.01 R$5.04

119.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$1.52 R$7.56

18.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$1.13 R$5.63

93.81%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$1.94 R$9.62

19.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$8.06 R$40.07

139.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$3.58 R$17.78

5.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$7.21 R$35.82

83.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$2.15 R$10.68

54.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$1.25 R$6.19

32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$1.19 R$5.91

92.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$1.46 R$7.26

36.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$1.19 R$5.93

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$1.11 R$5.49

36.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.74 R$3.66

39.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.61 R$3.03

-16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.15 R$10.69

105.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$7.27 R$36.12

166.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.27 R$6.30

41.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.04 R$10.15

31.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.86 R$4.30

66.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$38.33 R$191

-69.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.11 R$5.53

173.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.71 R$3.52

46.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$6.45 R$32.04

112.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$1.04 R$5.15

25.00%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$21.0K R$104.6K

32.58%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$27.3K R$135.8K

20.88%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$60.8 R$302

102.15%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$13.46 R$66.9

2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$18.56 R$92.3

1.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$22.12 R$110

176.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$21.96 R$109

-23.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$6.12 R$30.44

44.93%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$272 R$1,353

155.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,463 R$32.1K

148.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$49.84 R$248

18.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$42.84 R$213

-18.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$75.9 R$377

49.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$65.6 R$326

29.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$311 R$1,544

98.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$215 R$1,068

108.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$591 R$2,937

252.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$431 R$2,145

246.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,873 R$9,309

99.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,220 R$6,062

118.23%

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 Dourados: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $311 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46 in Phuket vs $27 in Dourados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $173 per month, with Dourados 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 Dourados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dourados wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dourados the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,904 in Phuket and $1,181 in Dourados 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $615 in Phuket versus $311 in Dourados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dourados – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $787 in Dourados versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dourados but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Dourados the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dourados delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $787 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dourados hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Dourados 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 Dourados gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.