Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Porto Velho Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Porto Velho

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Phuket versus $768 in Porto Velho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,276 in Phuket versus $1,230 in Porto Velho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Phuket versus $1,692 in Porto Velho.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than in Porto Velho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Porto Velho 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ฿152

$4.59 R$23.29

-1.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.36 ฿1,558

$25.75 R$131

80.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 ฿291

$5.98 R$30.34

44.65%

Cappuccino

$3.09 ฿104

$1.61 R$8.17

91.93%

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

$0.68 ฿22.79

$1.15 R$5.83

-40.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.38

$0.36 R$1.85

2.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.42 ฿81.2

$1.82 R$9.25

32.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 ฿128

$2.73 R$13.87

39.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿73.2

$1.01 R$5.12

115.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.1

$1.47 R$7.44

23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.2

$1.18 R$5.98

84.75%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿75.1

$2.02 R$10.25

10.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.93 ฿670

$8.26 R$41.92

141.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ฿122

$3.59 R$18.24

1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿456

$7.06 R$35.85

92.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ฿111

$2.13 R$10.83

54.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

$1.25 R$6.34

35.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.4

$1.14 R$5.79

104.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.44 R$7.31

40.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 ฿53.8

$1.19 R$6.04

34.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.06 R$5.38

40.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿34.02

$0.71 R$3.59

42.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.02

$0.62 R$3.15

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿150

$2.17 R$11.03

105.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.63 ฿626

$7.36 R$37.36

153.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 ฿60.0

$1.20 R$6.11

49.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 ฿94.0

$1.99 R$10.08

40.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.69

$0.86 R$4.37

65.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.33 ฿381

$39.05 R$198

-70.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 ฿104

$1.11 R$5.64

178.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.03

$0.75 R$3.79

38.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.63 ฿458

$6.37 R$32.32

113.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.03

$1.09 R$5.53

20.18%

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

$27.3K ฿916.6K

$20.8K R$105.7K

30.97%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.7K R$140.4K

20.07%

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

$123 ฿4,138

$59.4 R$302

107.27%

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

$13.81 ฿464

$13.39 R$67.9

3.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿622

$18.91 R$96.0

-2.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 ฿2,028

$22.81 R$116

164.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 ฿564

$21.20 R$108

-20.75%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿299

$6.28 R$31.85

41.56%

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

$687 ฿23.1K

$273 R$1,384

151.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿522.5K

$6,597 R$33.5K

135.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 ฿1,936

$49.46 R$251

16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.66 ฿1,165

$42.67 R$217

-18.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,861

$75.9 R$385

51.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 ฿2,853

$64.4 R$327

31.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 ฿20.7K

$321 R$1,629

92.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 ฿14.9K

$213 R$1,083

107.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,047 ฿68.8K

$589 R$2,989

247.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 ฿50.6K

$434 R$2,203

246.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,568 ฿119.9K

$1,669 R$8,469

113.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,511 ฿84.4K

$1,221 R$6,196

105.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.9K

$409 R$2,078

22.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Last update for Porto Velho: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $618 in Phuket and $321 in Porto Velho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% 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 $26.00 in Porto Velho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $172 per month, with Porto Velho 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 Porto Velho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porto Velho is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $618 in Phuket versus $321 in Porto Velho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $687 in Phuket versus $273 in Porto Velho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $768 in Porto Velho versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Porto Velho but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Porto Velho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Porto Velho 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 Porto Velho 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 Porto Velho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.