Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imbituba Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imbituba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $817 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,310 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,802 in Imbituba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 51% more expensive than in Imbituba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Imbituba 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.83 R$24.91

-8.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$28.80 R$148

12.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.79 R$35.01

31.52%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$1.89 R$9.72

53.44%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.11 R$5.71

-20.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.47 R$2.41

2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$2.27 R$11.68

3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.26 R$11.65

64.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$0.96 R$4.95

94.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.20 R$6.19

22.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$0.91 R$4.71

70.33%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$2.23 R$11.48

-5.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.84 R$40.39

149.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.10 R$15.96

10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$6.49 R$33.44

75.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.52 R$7.82

96.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.82 R$4.21

104.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$1.20 R$6.17

84.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$0.81 R$4.20

166.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$0.76 R$3.91

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.19 R$6.14

12.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$1.48 R$7.62

-23.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.94 R$4.82

-41.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.20 R$16.49

33.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$9.01 R$46.43

111.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.12 R$5.78

58.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.98 R$15.36

-6.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$1.10 R$5.68

102.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$39.82 R$205

-42.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.98 R$10.22

53.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.51 R$7.77

-32.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$9.62 R$49.58

-59.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.21 R$6.21

23.14%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$24.3K R$125.0K

9.59%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$32.5K R$167.4K

-16.83%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$59.5 R$307

72.10%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$11.19 R$57.7

1.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$20.82 R$107

-16.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$24.89 R$128

109.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$28.63 R$148

-61.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.49 R$43.74

-9.42%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$315 R$1,625

77.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$6,405 R$33.0K

79.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$45.72 R$236

37.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$89.2 R$460

-66.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$89.5 R$461

9.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$66.8 R$344

32.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$334 R$1,720

121.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$201 R$1,036

139.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$724 R$3,732

190.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$496 R$2,554

147.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,774 R$9,138

103.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$977 R$5,032

166.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.5

-46.95%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $334 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $29.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $165 per month, with Imbituba 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 Imbituba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imbituba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,226 in Imbituba 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: $738 in Phuket versus $334 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imbituba – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $817 in Imbituba versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imbituba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Imbituba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imbituba is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Imbituba 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 Imbituba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.