Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Recife Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Recife

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $880 in Recife.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,445 in Recife.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,010 in Recife.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than in Recife, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Recife 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.32 R$27.42

-17.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$37.12 R$191

-13.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$9.72 R$50.1

-8.13%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.44 R$12.55

18.85%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.02 R$5.28

-13.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.64 R$3.28

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.59 R$8.17

47.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.05 R$15.70

21.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.39 R$7.18

34.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$1.60 R$8.22

-8.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.55 R$8.00

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$1.87 R$9.66

12.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$6.93 R$35.71

182.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.51 R$23.23

-24.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$7.92 R$40.78

43.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.34 R$6.89

122.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$1.35 R$6.97

24.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.76 R$3.92

190.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.20 R$6.17

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.38 R$7.09

10.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$1.04 R$5.37

28.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.51 R$2.64

121.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$0.84 R$4.32

-34.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$1.77 R$9.10

140.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$7.79 R$40.15

145.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.14 R$5.86

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$1.55 R$7.99

79.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.84 R$4.35

165.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$37.92 R$195

-40.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.23 R$6.35

146.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.75 R$3.87

36.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$3.48 R$17.92

11.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.26 R$6.48

18.25%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$23.3K R$120.3K

13.86%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$31.7K R$163.5K

-14.81%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$114 R$587

-10.00%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$13.04 R$67.2

-13.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$17.02 R$87.7

2.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$20.68 R$107

151.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$33.57 R$173

-67.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$8.23 R$42.42

-6.56%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$277 R$1,428

102.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$11.7K R$60.0K

-1.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$43.62 R$225

44.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$47.98 R$247

-38.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$74.8 R$386

30.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$79.0 R$407

12.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$507 R$2,614

45.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$258 R$1,328

87.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$866 R$4,463

143.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$608 R$3,135

101.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,963 R$10.1K

84.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$1,053 R$5,423

147.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$412 R$2,122

19.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.75

-52.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Recife: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $507 in Recife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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 $37.00 in Recife. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $177, with Recife 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 Recife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Recife is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $507 in Recife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $277 in Recife. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $880 in Recife versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Recife but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Recife the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Recife 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 Recife 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 Recife gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.