Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imbituba

For one person, living is cheaper in Imbituba: $795 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Imbituba
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Imbituba Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Imbituba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$795

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Imbituba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $795 in Imbituba.

Phuket $1,294
Imbituba $795

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,262 in Imbituba.

Phuket $2,204
Imbituba $1,262

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,729 in Imbituba.

Phuket $3,115
Imbituba $1,729

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than in Imbituba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Imbituba 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$4.73 R$25.83

-7.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,078

$28.27 R$154

14.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿290

$6.38 R$34.85

36.36%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿90.9

$1.79 R$9.76

51.96%

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

$0.93 ฿31.06

$1.06 R$5.78

-12.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.67

$0.49 R$2.66

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$2.20 R$12.05

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

$2.26 R$12.33

60.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.1

$0.93 R$5.10

87.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.42

$1.15 R$6.30

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.1

$0.87 R$4.73

72.41%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.5

$2.05 R$11.19

5.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.55 R$41.25

152.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿113

$2.95 R$16.10

15.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$6.19 R$33.81

76.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.2

$1.47 R$8.04

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.5

$0.77 R$4.20

119.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.2

$1.14 R$6.25

92.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿70.9

$0.77 R$4.22

175.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.68

$0.72 R$3.96

102.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.66

$1.18 R$6.44

16.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.91

$1.38 R$7.52

-21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.21

$0.93 R$5.07

-40.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$3.01 R$16.45

47.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿609

$8.63 R$47.15

111.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.2

$1.07 R$5.87

65.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.2

$2.99 R$16.35

-3.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.92 R$5.05

57.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,832

$41.53 R$227

32.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.5

$1.89 R$10.35

-20.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.90

$1.51 R$8.25

-48.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

$9.12 R$49.86

-57.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.65

$1.22 R$6.66

22.13%

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

$26.9K ฿897.3K

$22.5K R$123.0K

19.36%

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

$26.3K ฿879.4K

$31.6K R$172.4K

-16.52%

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

$97.8 ฿3,265

$57.4 R$313

70.55%

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

$11.29 ฿377

$10.64 R$58.2

6.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿574

$19.85 R$108

-13.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,281

$24.31 R$133

181.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

$25.89 R$141

-57.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

$8.34 R$45.56

-10.91%

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

$530 ฿17.7K

$301 R$1,642

76.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿626.9K

$6,099 R$33.3K

207.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,059

$42.34 R$231

45.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿943

$85.8 R$469

-67.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,204

$84.1 R$459

14.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,898

$64.5 R$352

34.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

$330 R$1,801

118.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

$228 R$1,246

123.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.1K

$631 R$3,450

208.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.6K

$441 R$2,410

216.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿139.9K

$1,549 R$8,460

170.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.1K

$1,156 R$6,315

185.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Imbituba

$228 28.7% 55.2% $281

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Imbituba

$159 20% 40.6% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Imbituba

$88 11.1% 30.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Imbituba

$125 15.7% 1.5% $1.8

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Imbituba

$100 12.6% 16.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Imbituba

$41 5.2% 50.7% $42

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Imbituba

$55 6.9% 17.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $330 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $28 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $159 per month, with Imbituba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Imbituba

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

16:02 4:02 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

52,579

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 3 USD

100 THB = 2.67 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.38 THB (100 THB = 3 USD). 1 EUR = 37.51 THB (100 THB = 2.67 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Imbituba 15,890 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Imbituba

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 Imbituba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imbituba is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $1,192 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: $721 in Phuket versus $330 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% 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 $28 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $795 in Imbituba versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Imbituba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.