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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $829 in Porto Velho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,364 in Porto Velho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,898 in Porto Velho.

Living in Phuket is roughly 53% more expensive than in Porto Velho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Porto Velho 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$5.84 R$29.94

-20.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$39.28 R$201

-17.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.39 R$32.78

35.84%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$1.78 R$9.11

62.92%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.59 R$8.13

-47.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.50 R$2.56

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$1.89 R$9.69

31.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.18 R$11.19

71.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.04 R$5.36

81.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.67 R$8.58

-15.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.27 R$6.49

27.56%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.07 R$10.62

8.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$8.96 R$45.93

121.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.19 R$21.47

-16.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$8.35 R$42.78

36.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.19 R$11.21

32.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.29 R$6.59

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.13 R$5.78

100.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.57 R$8.05

35.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.16 R$5.94

26.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.08 R$5.53

31.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$0.81 R$4.16

35.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.79 R$4.07

-24.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.39 R$12.24

80.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.66 R$39.26

142.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.21 R$6.21

48.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.11 R$10.83

40.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$0.92 R$4.70

144.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$42.24 R$217

-44.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.22 R$6.26

154.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$0.80 R$4.11

35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$7.89 R$40.47

-50.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.16 R$5.94

23.28%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$22.7K R$116.2K

22.56%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$31.2K R$159.9K

-13.51%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$71.6 R$367

46.39%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$12.24 R$62.8

-6.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$20.25 R$104

-13.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$25.11 R$129

116.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$26.70 R$137

-57.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.00 R$35.90

11.14%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$289 R$1,481

99.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$7,521 R$38.6K

53.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$54.1 R$278

17.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$49.23 R$252

-40.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$91.9 R$471

4.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$70.6 R$362

27.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$339 R$1,736

116.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$235 R$1,204

113.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$646 R$3,309

229.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$458 R$2,345

173.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,611 R$8,258

119.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,125 R$5,769

132.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

$408 R$2,094

24.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.12

-49.91%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Porto Velho: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $339 in Porto Velho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 24% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $39.00 in Porto Velho. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $188, with Porto Velho 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 Porto Velho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porto Velho is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $733 in Phuket versus $339 in Porto Velho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $289 in Porto Velho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $829 in Porto Velho versus $1,265 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 53% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.