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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $773 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,245 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,716 in Imbituba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than Imbituba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Imbituba 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.32 R$26.93

-14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$26.91 R$136

73.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$6.46 R$32.70

31.11%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.78 R$9.03

70.22%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.11 R$5.63

-37.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.62 R$3.13

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.77 R$8.98

40.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.74 R$13.86

33.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.95 R$4.79

129.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.46 R$7.41

30.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.18 R$5.99

86.44%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.97 R$9.97

12.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$8.35 R$42.28

139.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.57 R$18.10

2.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$7.13 R$36.11

85.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.12 R$10.72

52.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.30 R$6.56

30.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$1.14 R$5.75

109.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.51 R$7.63

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.14 R$5.75

39.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.11 R$5.61

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.74 R$3.75

39.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.65 R$3.31

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.16 R$10.93

96.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$9.81 R$49.66

91.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.25 R$6.33

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.99 R$10.09

38.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.94 R$4.77

44.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$38.11 R$193

-70.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.10 R$5.56

185.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.77 R$3.88

35.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.39 R$32.33

115.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.04 R$5.27

28.85%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$21.1K R$106.8K

31.25%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$27.2K R$137.8K

24.44%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$61.2 R$310

101.85%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$13.23 R$67.0

2.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$19.23 R$97.4

-2.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$22.69 R$115

172.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$21.34 R$108

-19.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$6.32 R$31.99

44.62%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$275 R$1,391

155.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$6,570 R$33.3K

141.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$49.35 R$250

20.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$41.87 R$212

-16.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$76.0 R$385

51.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$65.7 R$333

27.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$320 R$1,619

93.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$217 R$1,096

99.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$571 R$2,891

261.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$436 R$2,210

246.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,688 R$8,548

115.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$973 R$4,928

169.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $320 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $178 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,892 in Phuket and $1,159 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: $619 in Phuket versus $320 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 $27.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $773 in Imbituba versus $1,261 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 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.