Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Queluz

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,642 in Queluz, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Queluz, Portugal
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Queluz
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,642
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Queluz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,642 in Queluz.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Queluz $1,642

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,483 in Queluz.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Queluz $2,483

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,324 in Queluz.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Queluz $3,324

Living in Phuket costs roughly 22% less than in Queluz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Queluz is 21% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Queluz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$13.29 €11.90
-66.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,093
$27.56 €24.68
17.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$6.73 €6.03
30.91%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.4
$0.83 €0.74
240.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.41
$1.70 €1.53
-48.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.65
$1.09 €0.98
-55.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.3
$1.13 €1.01
126.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.25 €2.02
63.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Queluz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.34 €1.20
23.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.31
$1.35 €1.21
8.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.5
$1.63 €1.46
-7.98%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.5
$4.18 €3.74
-50.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿643
$16.87 €15.11
13.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$7.72 €6.91
-57.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$27.38 €24.52
-60.15%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.9
$3.10 €2.78
-5.48%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.0
$1.33 €1.19
27.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.8
$1.71 €1.53
31.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿70.0
$2.24 €2.01
-7.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$2.03 €1.82
-25.62%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.52
$2.01 €1.80
-31.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.96
$1.73 €1.55
-38.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.51
$0.97 €0.87
-46.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$8.47 €7.59
-50.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿634
$5.97 €5.35
214.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.5
$1.02 €0.91
78.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.8
$1.59 €1.42
78.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Queluz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.98
$2.44 €2.19
-40.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,912
$42.93 €38.44
31.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.59 €3.22
-15.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.33
$0.89 €0.80
14.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿125
$15.90 €14.24
-76.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.76
$2.17 €1.94
-32.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿903.4K
$33.9K €30.4K
-21.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿900.5K
$37.5K €33.6K
-28.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Queluz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,251
$150 €134
-35.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$21.01 €18.81
-46.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$56.6 €50.7
-70.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Queluz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,268
$34.73 €31.11
93.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿362
$18.55 €16.61
-42.16%
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$8.83 €7.91
-15.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Queluz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.1K
$659 €590
-27.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿380.0K
$15.4K €13.8K
-26.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Queluz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,104
$78.5 €70.3
-20.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿958
$55.8 €49.99
-49.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,181
$78.5 €70.3
20.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,895
$67.4 €60.4
27.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Queluz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.2K
$892 €799
-19.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.6K
$706 €632
-30.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿65.0K
$1,467 €1,314
31.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.3K
$1,328 €1,190
7.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.9K
$2,903 €2,600
43.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.7K
$2,292 €2,053
32.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Queluz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
4.65
19.78%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Queluz: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Queluz
$706 43.7% $215
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Queluz
$312 17.2% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Queluz
$227 82.6% $103
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Queluz
$126 3.4% $4.2
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Queluz
$158 29.6% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Queluz
$52 36.3% $30
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Queluz
$61 13.9% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $892 in Queluz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $28 in Queluz. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $312, with Phuket cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇹 Queluz
🕒 Local time
02:28 2:28 AM
19:28 7:28 PM
7 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
75,169
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Queluz 10,960 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Queluz

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 Queluz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Queluz?
Phuket is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $2,463 in Queluz to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Queluz?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $892 in Queluz. 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 $659 in Queluz. 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 Queluz?
Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Queluz. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Queluz?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,642 in Queluz, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Queluz. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Phuket or in Queluz?
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 safer, Phuket or Queluz?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Queluz are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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