Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Olinda

For one person, living is cheaper in Olinda: $827 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Olinda, Brazil
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Olinda
🇧🇷 Brazil
$827
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Olinda

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Olinda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $827 in Olinda.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Olinda $827

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,288 in Olinda.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Olinda $1,288

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,749 in Olinda.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Olinda $1,749

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than in Olinda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Olinda 39% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Olinda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$5.09 R$27.65
-13.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,089
$28.03 R$152
15.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿293
$7.27 R$39.53
19.67%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.8
$1.47 R$7.98
85.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.35
$0.93 R$5.07
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.83
$0.54 R$2.94
-7.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.3
$1.50 R$8.18
68.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$2.99 R$16.26
21.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Olinda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.6
$1.07 R$5.82
62.62%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.89
$1.48 R$8.06
-2.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.42 R$7.71
5.63%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.2
$1.82 R$9.88
19.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿643
$6.88 R$37.42
177.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿115
$4.14 R$22.49
-17.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿367
$6.84 R$37.18
59.36%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿99.1
$1.31 R$7.14
124.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$0.87 R$4.73
94.25%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿73.9
$0.72 R$3.92
204.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.6
$1.08 R$5.87
96.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.15
$1.31 R$7.13
11.45%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.10
$1.03 R$5.59
33.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.26
$0.44 R$2.41
145.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.38
$0.82 R$4.47
-32.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$1.70 R$9.27
160.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿615
$7.20 R$39.15
153.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.7
$1.04 R$5.64
70.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿97.1
$1.41 R$7.68
104.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Olinda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.78
$0.92 R$5.02
57.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,850
$40.16 R$218
36.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$0.90 R$4.88
67.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.14
$0.60 R$3.24
30.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿129
$2.93 R$15.91
31.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.1
$1.21 R$6.60
23.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿905.9K
$21.3K R$115.6K
26.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿887.8K
$31.1K R$169.1K
-15.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Olinda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,296
$106 R$579
-8.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿381
$12.42 R$67.5
-9.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿579
$16.47 R$89.6
4.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Olinda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,303
$23.50 R$128
190.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿368
$28.43 R$155
-61.59%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿250
$8.30 R$45.10
-10.48%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Olinda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.9K
$262 R$1,426
102.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿632.9K
$6,147 R$33.4K
205.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Olinda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,078
$41.97 R$228
46.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿952
$45.35 R$247
-37.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,235
$70.5 R$383
36.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,926
$70.0 R$381
23.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Olinda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.3K
$289 R$1,569
149.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.1K
$241 R$1,312
110.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.7K
$635 R$3,453
207.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.1K
$465 R$2,529
200.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿141.3K
$1,813 R$9,859
131.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿111.2K
$1,065 R$5,787
209.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Olinda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.6K
$348 R$1,891
41.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11
-49.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Olinda: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Olinda
$241 52.6% $268
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Olinda
$160 39.9% $106
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Olinda
$135 7.2% $9.1
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Olinda
$103 16.4% $20
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Olinda
$100 16.8% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Olinda
$40 51.8% $43
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Olinda
$48 27.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $289 in Olinda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $28 in Olinda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $160 per month, with Olinda cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇷 Olinda
🕒 Local time
21:41 9:41 PM
11:41 11:41 AM
10 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
349,976
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 33.7 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Olinda 14,870 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Olinda

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Olinda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Olinda?
Olinda wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Olinda the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Olinda?
Average pay runs 41% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Olinda?
Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $289 in Olinda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Phuket compared to Olinda?
All in, you’ll spend $1,294 per month in Phuket versus $827 in Olinda – Olinda is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Phuket compared to Olinda?
A monthly transit pass in Olinda runs roughly 27% less than in Phuket. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $800/month in Phuket or in Olinda?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Olinda is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Olinda?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Olinda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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