Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imperatriz Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Imperatriz

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $869 in Imperatriz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,355 in Imperatriz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,841 in Imperatriz.

Living in Phuket is roughly 42% more expensive than in Imperatriz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Imperatriz 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.97 R$30.70

-26.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$34.38 R$177

-6.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.05 R$36.24

26.67%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.89 R$9.74

53.44%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.09 R$5.62

-19.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.47 R$2.42

2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.83 R$9.40

28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.28 R$16.85

13.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.27 R$6.51

47.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.53 R$7.89

-3.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.19 R$6.11

30.25%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.90 R$9.76

10.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$10.48 R$53.9

86.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.01 R$20.63

-14.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$7.65 R$39.36

48.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.34 R$12.06

27.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.25 R$6.42

34.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.07 R$5.48

106.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.52 R$7.82

42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.18 R$6.08

28.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.17 R$5.99

14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.72 R$3.69

56.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.80 R$4.10

-31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.40 R$12.34

77.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$8.08 R$41.56

136.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.26 R$6.46

41.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.85 R$9.51

50.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.83 R$4.28

168.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$40.26 R$207

-43.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.26 R$6.49

140.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.72 R$3.68

41.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.50 R$38.57

-48.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.20 R$6.16

24.17%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$24.9K R$128.2K

6.60%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$34.3K R$176.2K

-21.14%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$71.1 R$366

44.12%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$10.82 R$55.7

4.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$20.76 R$107

-16.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$25.59 R$132

103.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$25.68 R$132

-56.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$7.69 R$39.52

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$271 R$1,395

106.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$6,562 R$33.7K

75.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$47.45 R$244

32.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$52.8 R$272

-44.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$91.1 R$468

7.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$73.4 R$377

20.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$339 R$1,741

118.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$236 R$1,216

104.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$735 R$3,781

186.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$397 R$2,041

208.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,382 R$7,108

161.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$1,101 R$5,662

136.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.06

-49.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Imperatriz: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $339 in Imperatriz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $34.00 in Imperatriz. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $190, with Imperatriz cheaper for home cooking.

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 Imperatriz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Imperatriz is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,304 in Imperatriz 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 $339 in Imperatriz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Imperatriz – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $869 in Imperatriz versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Imperatriz but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Imperatriz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz 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 Imperatriz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.