Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rio Branco Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rio Branco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $729 in Rio Branco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,137 in Rio Branco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,545 in Rio Branco.

Living in Phuket is roughly 73% more expensive than in Rio Branco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Rio Branco 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.33 R$27.04

-15.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$23.38 R$119

95.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$7.68 R$38.97

14.06%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$2.26 R$11.46

31.42%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.21 R$6.15

-42.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.69 R$3.49

-43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.76 R$8.95

43.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$1.41 R$7.16

165.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.37 R$6.97

56.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.45 R$7.36

25.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.15 R$5.82

89.57%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$2.02 R$10.24

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.19 R$41.54

144.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$4.14 R$21.01

-12.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$6.14 R$31.16

120.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$2.08 R$10.57

55.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.26 R$6.40

30.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.14 R$5.79

104.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.51 R$7.65

37.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.14 R$5.77

35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.09 R$5.54

33.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.75 R$3.81

30.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.62 R$3.16

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.15 R$10.92

102.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$7.76 R$39.39

139.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.25 R$6.35

48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$1.99 R$10.11

33.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.62 R$3.13

129.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$37.87 R$192

-69.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.07 R$5.42

196.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.74 R$3.77

39.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.51 R$33.03

113.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.13 R$5.72

18.58%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$20.6K R$104.6K

34.85%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$28.1K R$142.4K

18.93%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$61.1 R$310

101.33%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$13.59 R$69.0

1.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$17.91 R$90.9

2.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$17.68 R$89.7

243.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$21.88 R$111

-21.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$3.54 R$17.97

150.56%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$143 R$727

380.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,382 R$32.4K

147.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$49.02 R$249

20.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$42.74 R$217

-18.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$76.4 R$388

50.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$63.1 R$320

32.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$314 R$1,594

97.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$175 R$889

154.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$502 R$2,546

305.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$307 R$1,557

387.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,285 R$6,523

168.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$1,571 R$7,972

61.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$249 R$1,264

98.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Rio Branco: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $314 in Rio Branco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 98% 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 $23.00 in Rio Branco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $177 per month, with Rio Branco 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 Rio Branco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio Branco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 98% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $314 in Rio Branco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $143 in Rio Branco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $729 in Rio Branco versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rio Branco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rio Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio Branco 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 Rio Branco 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 Rio Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.