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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,255 in Luanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $2,347 in Luanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $3,439 in Luanda.

Living in Phuket is roughly 1% more expensive than Luanda, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Luanda 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$5.73 AOA 5,234

-20.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$47.56 AOA 43.4K

-1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$8.06 AOA 7,356

5.09%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$3.53 AOA 3,222

-14.16%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$1.61 AOA 1,474

-57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$1.06 AOA 964

-65.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.53 AOA 1,394

62.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$1.73 AOA 1,577

111.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$2.00 AOA 1,830

9.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.21 AOA 1,107

57.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.38 AOA 1,261

59.42%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$2.14 AOA 1,957

3.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$12.27 AOA 11.2K

62.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$5.81 AOA 5,308

-37.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$10.00 AOA 9,127

32.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$2.55 AOA 2,325

26.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.06 AOA 971

60.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$3.12 AOA 2,847

-23.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$2.12 AOA 1,934

-1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$1.74 AOA 1,591

-8.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$1.52 AOA 1,387

-2.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$1.96 AOA 1,791

-47.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.45 AOA 413

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$2.34 AOA 2,136

81.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$6.11 AOA 5,577

207.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$0.56 AOA 508

214.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.26 AOA 1,151

119.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.33 AOA 304

312.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$32.72 AOA 29.9K

-65.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.22 AOA 1,111

157.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$0.86 AOA 783

20.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$5.86 AOA 5,349

134.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$0.39 AOA 354

243.59%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$20.1K AOA 18.3M

38.02%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$28.6K AOA 26.1M

18.24%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$97.8 AOA 89.3K

26.37%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$19.81 AOA 18.1K

-31.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$131 AOA 119.2K

-85.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$43.45 AOA 39.7K

42.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$14.30 AOA 13.1K

20.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$4.41 AOA 4,023

107.26%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$695 AOA 634.3K

1.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$14.9K AOA 13.7M

6.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$95.8 AOA 87.5K

-37.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$78.1 AOA 71.3K

-55.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$129 AOA 118.0K

-10.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$257 AOA 234.7K

-67.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$530 AOA 484.4K

16.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$292 AOA 266.9K

48.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$2,377 AOA 2.2M

-13.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$1,331 AOA 1.2M

13.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$12.2K AOA 11.1M

-70.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$883 AOA 806.3K

197.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$1,382 AOA 1.3M

-63.33%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Luanda: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $530 in Luanda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 173% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $48.00 in Luanda. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $223, 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 1% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $1,255 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Luanda earns 173% less. 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: $619 in Phuket versus $530 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 188% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $695 in Luanda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,255 in Luanda versus $1,261 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 1% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.