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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,499 in Portimao.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $2,255 in Portimao.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $3,012 in Portimao.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 16% less than in Portimao, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Portimao is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$11.59 €9.98

-59.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$53.1 €45.69

-14.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$10.22 €8.80

-17.51%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$2.28 €1.97

28.51%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.77 €1.53

-61.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$1.70 €1.46

-78.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.48 €2.14

-2.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.26 €2.81

14.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.16 €1.00

92.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.67 €1.44

9.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.71 €1.47

26.90%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$3.14 €2.71

-29.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$12.13 €10.44

62.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$7.35 €6.33

-50.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$11.35 €9.77

19.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.40 €2.07

36.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.32 €1.14

21.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.46 €1.25

65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.39 €2.06

-12.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$2.13 €1.83

-28.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$2.24 €1.93

-33.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$1.62 €1.39

-38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.76 €0.65

-32.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$6.07 €5.23

-27.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$5.81 €5.00

233.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.08 €0.93

64.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.57 €2.22

5.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$1.83 €1.58

-25.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$13.80 €11.88

-17.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$3.54 €3.05

-14.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.79 €0.68

25.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$17.11 €14.74

-17.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.90 €1.63

-28.42%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$34.7K €29.9K

-18.68%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$40.1K €34.5K

-17.97%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$118 €101

3.28%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$26.39 €22.72

-48.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$47.59 €40.98

-61.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$48.70 €41.94

23.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$19.50 €16.79

-12.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.93 €6.83

9.58%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$649 €559

6.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$4,702 €4,049

233.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$53.4 €46.00

11.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$24.19 €20.83

43.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$46.93 €40.41

144.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$70.2 €60.5

18.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$922 €794

-33.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$682 €587

-35.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$1,446 €1,245

44.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$1,175 €1,012

28.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$4,327 €3,726

-13.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$3,360 €2,893

-22.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$1,045 €900

-51.39%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Portimao: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $922 in Portimao. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portimao pays 106% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $53.0 in Portimao. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $241, 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 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Portimao earns 106% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $922 in Portimao. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $649 in Portimao. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Portimao pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,499 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 18% less than in Portimao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.