Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quarteira Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Quarteira

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,748 in Quarteira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $2,527 in Quarteira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $3,307 in Quarteira.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 28% less than in Quarteira, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Quarteira is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$17.19 €15.06

-73.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$58.3 €51.0

-20.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$10.44 €9.14

-15.33%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$2.08 €1.82

47.12%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.75 €1.53

-58.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$1.13 €0.99

-64.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$2.36 €2.07

2.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.97 €2.60

27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.07 €0.94

111.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.24 €1.09

45.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.60 €1.40

40.62%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.81 €2.46

-19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$9.21 €8.07

111.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$6.43 €5.63

-43.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$13.41 €11.74

-2.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.52 €2.21

28.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.42 €1.24

14.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.43 €1.25

66.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$2.31 €2.03

-12.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$2.07 €1.81

-26.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$2.13 €1.87

-29.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$1.01 €0.88

-2.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.67 €0.59

-22.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$6.28 €5.50

-29.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.11 €4.47

258.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.24 €1.08

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.60 €2.28

3.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$2.28 €2.00

-38.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$42.48 €37.20

-72.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$3.71 €3.25

-16.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$1.06 €0.92

-1.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$17.11 €14.99

-17.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.92 €1.68

-31.77%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$35.2K €30.9K

-21.08%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$39.7K €34.8K

-16.42%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$144 €126

-14.98%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$20.07 €17.57

-32.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$42.96 €37.63

-56.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$43.78 €38.34

38.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$8.86 €7.76

2.37%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$466 €408

51.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$12.3K €10.8K

28.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$72.8 €63.8

-19.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$45.37 €39.74

-22.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$108 €94.6

6.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$109 €95.4

-23.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$915 €802

-31.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$830 €727

-46.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$1,471 €1,288

38.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$1,229 €1,077

21.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$3,106 €2,720

12.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$2,622 €2,296

-1.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$1,389 €1,216

-64.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.24

1.72%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Quarteira: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $915 in Quarteira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quarteira pays 178% 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 $58.0 in Quarteira. Groceries flip the comparison at $289 vs $223, with Quarteira 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 Quarteira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 178% lower in Quarteira. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $915 in Quarteira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $466 in Quarteira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Quarteira pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,748 in Quarteira, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Quarteira. 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 Quarteira, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Quarteira 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 40% less than in Quarteira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.