Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Porto Velho

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Velho: $851 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Porto Velho, Brazil
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Porto Velho
🇧🇷 Brazil
$851
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $851 in Porto Velho.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Porto Velho $851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,347 in Porto Velho.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Porto Velho $1,347

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,844 in Porto Velho.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Porto Velho $1,844

Living in Phuket is roughly 50% more expensive than in Porto Velho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Porto Velho 38% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Porto Velho
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$5.47 R$29.23
-18.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,094
$37.80 R$202
-14.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$6.15 R$32.86
43.25%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.5
$1.78 R$9.53
58.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.43
$1.52 R$8.13
-42.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.67
$0.49 R$2.60
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.4
$1.85 R$9.87
38.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.06 R$11.03
78.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Porto Velho
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿56.0
$0.99 R$5.29
67.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.35
$1.41 R$7.51
3.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.6
$1.08 R$5.78
38.89%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$1.97 R$10.53
6.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿644
$8.70 R$46.51
119.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$4.08 R$21.82
-19.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$8.61 R$46.03
26.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿99.0
$2.03 R$10.87
44.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.24 R$6.65
36.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.03 R$5.50
118.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.1
$1.55 R$8.29
34.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.27 R$6.80
18.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.56
$1.10 R$5.89
25.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.99
$0.63 R$3.39
69.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.52
$0.82 R$4.39
-36.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.17 R$11.61
93.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$6.34 R$33.89
196.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.23 R$6.58
47.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.9
$1.88 R$10.06
51.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Porto Velho
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿49.03
$0.92 R$4.93
57.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,913
$41.03 R$219
38.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.29 R$6.89
134.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.36
$0.90 R$4.80
13.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$7.50 R$40.09
-50.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.81
$1.22 R$6.52
20.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿904.3K
$20.8K R$111.4K
28.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿901.3K
$33.7K R$180.1K
-20.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Porto Velho
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,254
$79.3 R$424
21.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$12.36 R$66.1
-8.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿569
$19.71 R$105
-14.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Porto Velho
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,270
$24.42 R$131
175.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$25.57 R$137
-58.04%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$6.69 R$35.77
12.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Porto Velho
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$227 R$1,215
109.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.4K
$7,657 R$40.9K
47.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Porto Velho
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,106
$46.37 R$248
34.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿959
$46.33 R$248
-38.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,184
$84.1 R$450
12.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,898
$66.5 R$356
28.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Porto Velho
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$355 R$1,901
101.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$257 R$1,376
90.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.1K
$629 R$3,366
206.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$463 R$2,477
208.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿141.0K
$1,810 R$9,676
130.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.8K
$1,256 R$6,718
142.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Porto Velho
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿17.0K
$388 R$2,075
29.42%
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 Velho: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Porto Velho
$257 47.6% $233
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Porto Velho
$179 32.8% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Porto Velho
$111 10.5% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Porto Velho
$110 10.2% $12
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Porto Velho
$105 13.8% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Porto Velho
$38 54% $44
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Porto Velho
$51 28.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $355 in Porto Velho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 29% 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 $38 in Porto Velho. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $179, with Porto Velho cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇷 Porto Velho
🕒 Local time
03:36 3:36 AM
16:36 4:36 PM
11 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
460,434
💱 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 Velho 18,060 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Porto Velho

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 Velho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Porto Velho cheaper than Phuket?
Porto Velho is about 33% 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 Velho?
Average pay runs 29% 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 Velho?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $355 in Porto Velho. 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 $227 in Porto Velho. 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 Velho?
Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Phuket or in Porto Velho?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Porto Velho is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Porto Velho?
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 the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Porto Velho wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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