Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fortaleza

For one person, living is cheaper in Fortaleza: $942 a month against $1,190 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Fortaleza
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Fortaleza Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,190

/mo nomad

Fortaleza

🇧🇷 Brazil

$942

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Fortaleza

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Fortaleza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Phuket vs $942 in Fortaleza, rent included.

Phuket $1,190
Fortaleza $942

A couple spends around $2,006 per month in Phuket vs $1,419 in Fortaleza, rent included.

Phuket $2,006
Fortaleza $1,419

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Phuket vs $1,897 in Fortaleza, rent included.

Phuket $2,822
Fortaleza $1,897

Phuket costs about 26% more than Fortaleza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Fortaleza are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 11% lower, Fortaleza 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.35 ฿146

$5.97 R$29.79

-27.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.45 ฿1,087

$30.26 R$151

7.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 ฿282

$7.86 R$39.22

7.12%

Cappuccino

$2.81 ฿94.0

$2.26 R$11.26

24.34%

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

$0.87 ฿29.29

$1.20 R$6.00

-27.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ฿15.39

$0.68 R$3.42

-32.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 ฿86.6

$2.26 R$11.29

14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 ฿122

$3.98 R$19.89

-8.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 ฿57.2

$1.19 R$5.95

43.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.98 R$9.89

-26.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ฿52.3

$1.15 R$5.74

35.65%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.3

$1.86 R$9.29

12.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.53 ฿654

$7.76 R$38.73

151.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.05 R$20.22

-16.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 ฿373

$9.48 R$47.34

17.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 ฿94.8

$2.86 R$14.28

-1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.32 R$6.60

22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 ฿74.5

$0.83 R$4.14

167.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 ฿71.9

$1.74 R$8.69

23.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ฿49.95

$1.28 R$6.40

16.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 ฿44.40

$1.12 R$5.58

18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.72

$1.00 R$4.99

7.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿17.01

$1.03 R$5.14

-50.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 ฿147

$2.13 R$10.63

105.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.77 ฿629

$7.06 R$35.25

165.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ฿58.3

$1.54 R$7.67

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.66 R$8.26

67.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 ฿72.6

$0.98 R$4.89

121.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.28 ฿746

$19.74 R$98.6

12.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿101

$1.44 R$7.17

109.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.43

$0.80 R$3.99

32.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 ฿124

$7.43 R$37.08

-50.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.88

$1.33 R$6.63

7.52%

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

$26.3K ฿882.1K

$23.6K R$117.7K

11.69%

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

$26.2K ฿877.3K

$32.0K R$159.8K

-18.15%

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

$96.7 ฿3,236

$127 R$634

-23.85%

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

$11.41 ฿382

$10.79 R$53.9

5.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.11 ฿573

$21.43 R$107

-20.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 ฿1,768

$26.70 R$133

97.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿371

$43.44 R$217

-74.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.65 ฿256

$5.89 R$29.38

29.88%

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

$555 ฿18.6K

$207 R$1,033

168.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿377.7K

$4,034 R$20.1K

179.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.4 ฿2,123

$67.1 R$335

-5.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 ฿958

$61.0 R$304

-53.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 ฿3,238

$126 R$630

-23.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 ฿2,967

$68.9 R$344

28.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ฿24.6K

$428 R$2,137

71.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$458 ฿15.3K

$236 R$1,177

94.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 ฿70.4K

$584 R$2,917

259.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 ฿39.7K

$359 R$1,792

230.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,493 ฿116.9K

$2,653 R$13.2K

31.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,491 ฿83.4K

$1,184 R$5,909

110.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.8K

$482 R$2,404

4.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.38

-51.05%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 4, 2026

Last update for Fortaleza: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$458 38.1%

Fortaleza

$236 25.3% 48.5% $222

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$268 22.3%

Fortaleza

$198 21.2% 26.3% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Fortaleza

$159 17.1% 27.1% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$125 10.4%

Fortaleza

$145 15.6% 16.5% $21

Eating Out

Phuket

$119 9.9%

Fortaleza

$125 13.5% 5% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.7%

Fortaleza

$38 4.1% 43.5% $30

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Fortaleza

$29 3.1% 25.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $735 in Phuket versus $428 in Fortaleza. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Phuket versus $30.00 in Fortaleza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $198 – making Fortaleza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Fortaleza

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

05:30 5:30 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

2,428,708

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 33.48 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.55 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Fortaleza 15,230 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Fortaleza

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Fortaleza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 26% more than Fortaleza, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Phuket and $1,413 in Fortaleza. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fortaleza, 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 $32.00 in Phuket and $30.00 in Fortaleza. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,190 in Phuket and $942 in Fortaleza. That's a gap of about 26%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fortaleza, where all-in costs run around $942, than in Phuket at $1,190. In Fortaleza it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Fortaleza costs $942 versus $1,190 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 Fortaleza. 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.