Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Porto Seguro

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Seguro: $737 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Porto Seguro, Brazil
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Porto Seguro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$737
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Porto Seguro

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 Porto Seguro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $737 in Porto Seguro.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Porto Seguro $737

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,242 in Porto Seguro.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Porto Seguro $1,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,746 in Porto Seguro.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Porto Seguro $1,746

Living in Phuket is roughly 73% more expensive than in Porto Seguro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Porto Seguro 46% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Porto Seguro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$5.52 R$29.52
-19.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$18.53 R$99.1
74.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$6.64 R$35.48
32.68%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$2.10 R$11.23
34.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$1.10 R$5.87
-20.91%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.58 R$3.11
-15.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$1.66 R$8.87
54.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.97 R$15.87
23.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Porto Seguro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$1.29 R$6.88
28.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$1.39 R$7.41
5.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.37 R$7.32
9.49%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$4.14 R$22.13
-49.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$8.86 R$47.37
115.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.11 R$21.96
-19.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$7.80 R$41.71
39.87%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.04 R$10.89
43.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.32 R$7.05
28.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.09 R$5.82
106.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$1.45 R$7.75
43.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.39 R$7.42
8.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.13 R$6.06
22.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.68 R$3.65
57.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$1.32 R$7.05
-60.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.01 R$10.75
108.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$5.60 R$29.96
235.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.59 R$8.52
14.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$2.72 R$14.55
4.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Porto Seguro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$1.15 R$6.14
26.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$42.39 R$227
33.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.24 R$6.63
143.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$0.74 R$3.97
37.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$6.90 R$36.91
-46.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.29 R$6.91
13.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$22.2K R$118.7K
20.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$30.9K R$165.4K
-13.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Porto Seguro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$48.56 R$260
98.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$8.79 R$46.97
28.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$16.06 R$85.9
4.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Porto Seguro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$22.30 R$119
201.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$28.78 R$154
-62.72%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$6.63 R$35.45
13.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Porto Seguro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$235 R$1,258
102.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$6,727 R$36.0K
67.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Porto Seguro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$51.4 R$275
21.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$46.88 R$251
-39.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$82.0 R$439
14.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$66.0 R$353
29.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Porto Seguro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$254 R$1,358
181.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$157 R$837
213.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$538 R$2,876
258.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$441 R$2,357
224.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$1,556 R$8,322
168.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$1,137 R$6,079
167.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Porto Seguro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$301 R$1,610
66.78%
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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Porto Seguro: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Porto Seguro
$157 68.1% $334
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Porto Seguro
$199 25.4% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Porto Seguro
$73 41% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Porto Seguro
$111 9.1% $11
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Porto Seguro
$110 9.4% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Porto Seguro
$36 56.8% $47
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Porto Seguro
$52 26.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $254 in Porto Seguro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 67% 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 $19 in Porto Seguro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $199 per month, with Porto Seguro cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇷 Porto Seguro
🕒 Local time
03:49 3:49 AM
17:49 5:49 PM
10 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
168,326
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Porto Seguro 15,300 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Porto Seguro

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 Porto Seguro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Porto Seguro cheaper than Phuket?
Porto Seguro is about 42% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Porto Seguro?
Average pay runs 67% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Porto Seguro?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $254 in Porto Seguro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $235 in Porto Seguro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Phuket and in Porto Seguro?
Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Porto Seguro?
At $737 in Porto Seguro versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Porto Seguro but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Porto Seguro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Porto Seguro?
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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Porto Seguro 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.

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