Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Portimao Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Portimao

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,469 in Portimao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $2,213 in Portimao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $2,957 in Portimao.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 14% less than in Portimao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Portimao is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿153

$11.59 €10.16

-60.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,563

$51.2 €44.84

-9.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿292

$10.26 €9.00

-15.69%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$2.41 €2.11

28.22%

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

$0.68 ฿22.86

$1.75 €1.53

-61.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.42

$1.70 €1.49

-78.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.5

$2.44 €2.14

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$3.12 €2.74

22.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.11 €0.97

96.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.3

$1.59 €1.40

14.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.76 €1.55

23.86%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.4

$3.19 €2.80

-29.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿672

$11.81 €10.36

68.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿123

$7.39 €6.48

-50.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿457

$11.51 €10.09

17.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.33 €2.04

41.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.32 €1.16

28.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.7

$1.41 €1.24

65.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.3

$2.28 €1.99

-10.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.9

$2.21 €1.94

-27.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.4

$2.36 €2.07

-36.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.13

$1.67 €1.47

-39.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.07

$0.74 €0.65

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$6.03 €5.28

-26.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿628

$5.74 €5.04

224.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.2

$1.08 €0.95

65.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.3

$2.55 €2.23

9.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.84

$1.87 €1.64

-24.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿382

$14.02 €12.30

-19.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$3.56 €3.12

-13.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.15

$0.80 €0.70

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿459

$17.08 €14.97

-20.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.18

$1.89 €1.66

-30.69%

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

$27.3K ฿919.6K

$34.8K €30.5K

-21.52%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$39.3K €34.5K

-15.56%

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

$123 ฿4,152

$114 €99.6

8.44%

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

$13.81 ฿465

$26.92 €23.61

-48.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿624

$49.11 €43.06

-62.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,035

$49.78 €43.65

21.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿566

$19.68 €17.25

-14.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿300

$8.05 €7.06

10.43%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$630 €553

8.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿524.2K

$4,702 €4,123

230.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,943

$54.2 €47.52

6.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,168

$23.74 €20.81

46.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,874

$47.87 €41.97

140.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,862

$68.8 €60.4

23.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.8K

$942 €826

-34.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$699 €613

-36.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿69.0K

$1,432 €1,255

42.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.8K

$1,175 €1,030

28.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿120.3K

$4,254 €3,730

-16.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.6K

$3,329 €2,919

-24.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$1,017 €892

-50.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

4.86

9.67%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Portimao: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $942 in Portimao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portimao pays 102% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $51.0 in Portimao. Groceries flip the comparison at $292 vs $239, with Portimao 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 Portimao: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 102% lower in Portimao. 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: $618 in Phuket versus $942 in Portimao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $630 in Portimao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Portimao pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,261 in Phuket versus $1,469 in Portimao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Portimao. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Portimao, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Portimao 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Portimao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.