Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fortaleza Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Fortaleza

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Phuket vs $825 in Fortaleza, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,286 per month in Phuket vs $1,273 in Fortaleza, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,310 per month in Phuket vs $1,720 in Fortaleza, rent included.

Phuket costs about 53% more than Fortaleza, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Phuket and Fortaleza are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Fortaleza 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.29 R$26.76

-13.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$34.61 R$175

34.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$7.13 R$36.09

18.79%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$2.06 R$10.41

47.09%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.11 R$5.60

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.62 R$3.16

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$2.01 R$10.19

23.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.70 R$18.74

-1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$1.10 R$5.56

98.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.91 R$9.66

-0.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.14 R$5.79

92.98%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.83 R$9.24

21.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$7.09 R$35.91

181.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.30 R$16.70

10.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$8.27 R$41.89

60.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.43 R$12.29

32.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.15 R$5.81

47.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.80 R$4.03

198.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.51 R$7.64

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.25 R$6.34

27.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.06 R$5.37

39.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.94 R$4.78

9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.83 R$4.20

-37.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.09 R$10.57

103.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.69 R$33.89

180.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.42 R$7.19

23.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.61 R$8.17

71.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.83 R$4.20

63.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$30.83 R$156

-63.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.09 R$5.52

188.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.75 R$3.81

38.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.07 R$30.75

126.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.11 R$5.60

20.72%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$20.0K R$101.1K

38.57%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$27.6K R$139.8K

22.61%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$106 R$538

16.28%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$15.52 R$78.6

-12.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$17.92 R$90.7

4.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$23.01 R$117

168.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$42.75 R$216

-59.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.31 R$31.97

44.85%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$226 R$1,144

210.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$2,145 R$10.9K

640.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$48.98 R$248

21.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$43.90 R$222

-20.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$93.1 R$471

23.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$58.7 R$297

43.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$313 R$1,583

97.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$196 R$992

120.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$380 R$1,924

442.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$339 R$1,718

345.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$2,584 R$13.1K

41.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$1,113 R$5,632

136.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$465 R$2,355

9.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.79

-54.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Fortaleza: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $619 in Phuket versus $313 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 9% 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 $47.00 in Phuket versus $35.00 in Fortaleza. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $178 – making Fortaleza the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 53% more than Fortaleza, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,892 per month in Phuket and $1,238 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 $47.00 in Phuket and $35.00 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 $1,261 in Phuket and $825 in Fortaleza. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Fortaleza, where all-in costs run around $825, than in Phuket at $1,261. 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 $825 versus $1,261 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.