Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manaus Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Manaus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $867 in Manaus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,347 in Manaus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,828 in Manaus.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Manaus 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.36 R$26.73

-13.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$25.32 R$126

84.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.27 R$31.29

40.99%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$2.03 R$10.15

47.78%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.00 R$5.01

-26.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.71 R$3.56

-47.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.48 R$12.38

-1.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$4.88 R$24.37

-26.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.26 R$6.27

79.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.41 R$7.02

30.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.15 R$5.75

94.78%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.03 R$10.13

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$9.72 R$48.53

102.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.67 R$18.31

-0.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$6.60 R$32.91

98.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.14 R$10.70

58.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.52 R$7.58

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.29 R$6.42

86.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.82 R$9.08

11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.18 R$5.91

32.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.14 R$5.67

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.70 R$3.47

45.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.64 R$3.20

-23.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$3.53 R$17.64

26.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.98 R$44.81

110.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.36 R$6.79

30.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.09 R$10.42

31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.79 R$3.93

77.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$35.32 R$176

-67.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.94 R$4.69

231.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.67 R$3.34

49.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$8.87 R$44.28

58.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.20 R$6.00

12.50%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$19.7K R$98.5K

37.65%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$22.7K R$113.1K

45.28%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$106 R$531

17.48%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$14.15 R$70.6

-4.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$22.95 R$115

-19.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$23.09 R$115

166.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$23.24 R$116

-27.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.01 R$29.99

52.91%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$202 R$1,009

245.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$4,758 R$23.7K

227.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$45.65 R$228

26.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$28.97 R$145

21.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$54.2 R$270

108.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$63.3 R$316

36.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$392 R$1,957

57.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$238 R$1,188

87.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$666 R$3,324

207.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$493 R$2,461

202.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,761 R$8,789

114.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,310 R$6,538

102.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$529 R$2,639

-0.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.83

-45.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Manaus: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $392 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manaus pays 1% 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 $25.00 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $186 per month, with Manaus 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 Manaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manaus 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.

On paper, Manaus earns 1% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $392 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $47.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $867 in Manaus versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manaus but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Manaus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manaus 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 Manaus 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 Manaus 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.