Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Luanda Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Luanda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $1,228 in Luanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $2,327 in Luanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $3,426 in Luanda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 3% more expensive than in Luanda, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Luanda 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.99 AOA 5,468

-25.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,520

$48.01 AOA 43.8K

-5.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.73 AOA 7,052

13.32%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$3.66 AOA 3,336

-18.85%

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

$0.69 ฿22.89

$1.62 AOA 1,477

-57.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.03

$1.07 AOA 974

-63.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.58 AOA 1,441

60.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.81 AOA 1,650

107.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.97 AOA 1,793

9.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.5

$1.16 AOA 1,063

56.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.38 AOA 1,257

57.97%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.18 AOA 1,993

3.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$12.58 AOA 11.5K

58.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$5.85 AOA 5,335

-37.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$9.76 AOA 8,906

38.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.57 AOA 2,348

26.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.07 AOA 976

53.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$3.09 AOA 2,818

-24.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$2.12 AOA 1,932

-2.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.74 AOA 1,585

-10.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.53

$1.58 AOA 1,438

-7.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$1.95 AOA 1,779

-49.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.43 AOA 388

11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.34 AOA 2,135

85.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿619

$5.85 AOA 5,340

217.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$0.57 AOA 519

226.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.5

$1.31 AOA 1,194

102.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.26

$0.37 AOA 335

283.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$33.15 AOA 30.2K

-65.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.16 AOA 1,061

173.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.40

$0.92 AOA 839

11.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.07 AOA 5,534

128.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.83

$0.38 AOA 349

252.63%

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

$27.8K ฿926.8K

$19.8K AOA 18.0M

40.57%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$28.4K AOA 25.9M

17.65%

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

$123 ฿4,104

$94.4 AOA 86.1K

30.40%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$19.93 AOA 18.2K

-30.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$132 AOA 120.5K

-86.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,024

$42.61 AOA 38.9K

42.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿572

$14.24 AOA 13.0K

20.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$4.36 AOA 3,978

103.44%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$691 AOA 630.9K

-0.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.2K

$14.8K AOA 13.5M

6.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$95.7 AOA 87.3K

-38.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$77.9 AOA 71.1K

-55.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,841

$130 AOA 118.8K

-11.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,793

$251 AOA 229.0K

-66.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$517 AOA 471.8K

20.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$288 AOA 263.0K

54.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$2,388 AOA 2.2M

-14.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$1,359 AOA 1.2M

10.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.2K

$11.9K AOA 10.9M

-70.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$873 AOA 796.6K

189.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$1,405 AOA 1.3M

-64.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-77.79%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Luanda: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $517 in Luanda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 185% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $48.00 in Luanda. Groceries flip the comparison at $291 vs $222, with Luanda 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 Luanda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Luanda differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $1,228 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 185% lower in Luanda. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $621 in Phuket versus $517 in Luanda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Luanda runs roughly 187% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $691 in Luanda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,228 in Luanda versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Luanda but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Luanda 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Luanda 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 Luanda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.