Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Florianopolis Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Florianopolis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,007 in Florianopolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,615 in Florianopolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,224 in Florianopolis.

Living in Phuket is roughly 26% more expensive than Florianopolis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Florianopolis 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.09 R$35.85

-33.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$35.57 R$180

27.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.40 R$32.36

31.72%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.02 R$10.21

45.05%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.20 R$6.06

-42.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.77 R$3.88

-51.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.19 R$11.07

10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.69 R$13.60

38.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$0.95 R$4.79

134.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.53 R$7.72

19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.18 R$5.97

83.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.14 R$10.82

3.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.51 R$48.12

107.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.43 R$17.37

5.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.10 R$41.00

67.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.22 R$11.25

47.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.30 R$6.55

23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.25 R$6.32

92.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.90 R$9.60

9.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.10 R$5.55

39.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.11 R$5.63

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.87 R$4.39

13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.81 R$4.10

-37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.23 R$11.29

97.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$9.04 R$45.75

114.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.49 R$7.54

19.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.80 R$14.19

-3.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.11 R$5.63

23.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$36.07 R$182

-68.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.41 R$7.16

114.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$1.39 R$7.06

-28.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.44 R$37.66

89.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.13 R$5.72

20.35%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$25.6K R$129.6K

10.06%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.8K R$146.0K

14.06%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$64.7 R$327

88.16%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$14.90 R$75.4

-8.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$20.27 R$103

-9.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$33.34 R$169

80.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$18.88 R$95.5

-9.22%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.46 R$37.76

16.49%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$462 R$2,337

50.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$9,279 R$46.9K

69.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$66.5 R$337

-10.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$63.3 R$320

-45.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$83.6 R$423

37.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$59.3 R$300

40.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$498 R$2,520

23.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$377 R$1,905

16.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$957 R$4,840

118.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$748 R$3,786

101.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$2,778 R$14.1K

34.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,569 R$7,936

66.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$908 R$4,592

-44.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

12.12

-56.02%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Florianopolis: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $498 in Florianopolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Florianopolis pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $36.00 in Florianopolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $191 per month, with Florianopolis 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 Florianopolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Florianopolis wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Florianopolis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Florianopolis earns 79% less. 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: $613 in Phuket versus $498 in Florianopolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Florianopolis – a meal for two runs $36.00 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 $1,007 in Florianopolis – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,007 in Florianopolis versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Florianopolis but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Florianopolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Florianopolis delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,007 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Florianopolis hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Florianopolis 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 Florianopolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.