Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Horta

For one person, living is cheaper in Horta: $1,211 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Phuket outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Phuket, Thailand
Horta, Portugal
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Horta
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,211
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Horta

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 Horta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,211 in Horta, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Horta $1,211

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $1,810 in Horta, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Horta $1,810

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,409 in Horta, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Horta $2,409

Phuket costs about 6% more than Horta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Phuket and Horta are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Horta 11% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Horta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$8.00 €7.19
-44.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$31.33 €28.15
3.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$8.58 €7.71
2.68%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$2.25 €2.02
25.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$1.99 €1.78
-56.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$1.46 €1.31
-66.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$2.76 €2.48
-7.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.28 €2.95
12.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Horta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.04 €0.94
59.62%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$1.47 €1.32
-0.68%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.59 €1.43
-5.66%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$4.13 €3.71
-49.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$10.78 €9.69
76.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$7.37 €6.62
-55.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$14.39 €12.93
-24.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.47 €2.22
18.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.35 €1.21
25.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.84 €1.65
22.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$2.26 €2.03
-7.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.81 €1.62
-16.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.97 €1.77
-29.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$1.55 €1.39
-30.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.80 €0.72
-35.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$5.43 €4.88
-22.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$5.52 €4.96
240.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.24 €1.11
46.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$2.13 €1.91
33.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Horta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$2.02 €1.82
-28.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$42.23 €37.93
34.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.39 €3.05
-10.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$1.19 €1.06
-14.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$14.62 €13.13
-74.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$2.10 €1.88
-30.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$36.9K €33.2K
-27.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$43.3K €38.9K
-38.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Horta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$120 €108
-19.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$20.28 €18.21
-44.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$49.57 €44.53
-66.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Horta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$48.22 €43.32
39.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$15.07 €13.54
-28.80%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$5.04 €4.53
48.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Horta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$476 €428
-0.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$9,662 €8,680
16.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Horta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$76.9 €69.1
-18.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$23.57 €21.17
20.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$52.8 €47.42
78.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$102 €91.5
-15.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Horta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$497 €447
43.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$392 €352
25.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$738 €663
160.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$651 €585
119.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$3,101 €2,786
34.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$2,314 €2,078
31.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Horta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$968 €870
-48.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.67
51.77%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Horta: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Horta
$392 20.2% $99
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Horta
$246 7.6% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Horta
$190 52.3% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Horta
$115 5.8% $7.1
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Horta
$151 24% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Horta
$58 29.1% $24
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Horta
$60 15.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $497 in Horta. 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 93% higher in Horta, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $31 in Horta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $266 vs $246 – making Horta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇹 Horta
🕒 Local time
04:07 4:07 AM
20:07 8:07 PM
8 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
14,334
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Horta 12,500 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Horta

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 Horta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Horta compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,278 in Phuket, $1,211 in Horta – Horta comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Horta?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,816 in Horta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Horta?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Horta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $497 there versus $716 in Phuket.
How do commuting costs compare in Phuket and in Horta?
Public transport costs about 25% less in Horta. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Horta?
Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $476 in Horta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
How far does $2,000 go in Phuket compared to Horta?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,211 in Horta, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Phuket and Horta?
It depends on your priorities. Phuket has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,211 in Horta to $1,278 in Phuket. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Where should expats move: Phuket or Horta?
For expats, Horta is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 5% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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