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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $781 in Imbituba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,236 in Imbituba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,691 in Imbituba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than in Imbituba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Imbituba 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.26 R$26.93

-14.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,525

$27.51 R$141

65.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.31 R$32.31

38.83%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.3

$1.77 R$9.08

67.80%

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

$0.69 ฿22.96

$1.13 R$5.76

-38.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.07

$0.67 R$3.41

-41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.7

$1.76 R$8.99

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.68 R$13.73

39.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.8

$0.94 R$4.83

128.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.7

$1.50 R$7.66

21.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.1

$1.13 R$5.80

92.92%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.2

$2.00 R$10.26

12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿669

$8.19 R$41.90

144.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.62 R$18.51

0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$7.45 R$38.14

82.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.07 R$10.61

56.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.7

$1.25 R$6.37

31.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.0

$1.15 R$5.87

102.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.3

$1.45 R$7.40

42.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.14 R$5.83

35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.67

$1.11 R$5.67

31.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.94

$0.70 R$3.56

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.13

$0.67 R$3.41

-28.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.19 R$11.22

98.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿621

$9.71 R$49.71

91.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.1

$1.23 R$6.28

51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.8

$1.97 R$10.08

34.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.40

$0.94 R$4.80

51.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿387

$37.84 R$194

-69.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.11 R$5.68

185.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.51

$0.71 R$3.64

45.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿465

$6.54 R$33.45

112.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.96

$1.05 R$5.36

27.62%

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

$27.8K ฿929.6K

$20.9K R$107.2K

32.66%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.2K R$139.3K

22.65%

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

$123 ฿4,116

$60.1 R$308

104.74%

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

$13.77 ฿461

$13.53 R$69.2

1.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿613

$18.62 R$95.3

-1.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,030

$22.60 R$116

168.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿574

$21.25 R$109

-19.25%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿297

$6.15 R$31.48

44.23%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$271 R$1,385

154.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿527.8K

$6,383 R$32.7K

147.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,984

$49.32 R$252

20.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,160

$42.31 R$217

-18.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,853

$74.6 R$382

54.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,802

$65.5 R$335

27.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.8K

$310 R$1,585

100.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$219 R$1,123

103.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.0K

$581 R$2,974

249.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$429 R$2,194

248.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.6K

$1,633 R$8,355

111.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.7K

$1,268 R$6,490

99.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Imbituba: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $310 in Imbituba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Imbituba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 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 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,172 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: $621 in Phuket versus $310 in Imbituba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% 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 $28.00 versus $46.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $781 in Imbituba versus $1,264 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 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.