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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $776 in Recife.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,308 in Recife.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,840 in Recife.

Living in Phuket is roughly 63% more expensive than Recife, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Recife 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$4.92 R$24.87

-4.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$28.15 R$142

61.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.93 R$35.04

21.65%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.76 R$8.89

66.48%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$0.84 R$4.24

-17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.50 R$2.52

-26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.42 R$7.16

69.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.94 R$14.89

26.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.19 R$6.04

87.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.42 R$7.20

28.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.27 R$6.44

70.87%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.38 R$12.06

-7.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.82 R$34.50

189.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.67 R$18.58

-1.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.15 R$36.16

89.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.24 R$11.33

46.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.29 R$6.54

24.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.07 R$5.40

125.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.55 R$7.86

34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.32 R$6.69

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.09 R$5.50

35.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.50 R$2.52

98.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.74 R$3.76

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.60 R$8.09

175.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$7.87 R$39.84

146.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.20 R$6.05

48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$1.67 R$8.45

62.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.72 R$3.64

90.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$35.80 R$181

-68.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.14 R$5.76

164.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.64 R$3.24

54.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.50 R$17.71

302.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.04 R$5.27

30.77%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$15.9K R$80.6K

77.11%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$21.5K R$108.8K

53.00%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$71.7 R$363

69.81%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$15.73 R$79.6

-13.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$16.47 R$83.3

11.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$19.61 R$99.2

207.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$31.00 R$157

-44.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.05 R$35.68

23.26%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$253 R$1,282

173.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$10.6K R$53.7K

47.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$42.37 R$214

40.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$50.1 R$253

-30.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$82.5 R$417

38.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$77.9 R$394

6.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$322 R$1,631

90.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$201 R$1,016

117.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$580 R$2,934

261.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$540 R$2,733

179.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,940 R$9,815

93.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,056 R$5,341

147.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$420 R$2,126

20.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-64.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Recife: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $322 in Recife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 21% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Recife for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $174 per month, with Recife cheaper across the board.

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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 21% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $322 in Recife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $253 in Recife. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $776 in Recife versus $1,265 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 63% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.