Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rio das Ostras

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio das Ostras: $720 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Rio das Ostras
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Rio das Ostras Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Rio das Ostras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Rio das Ostras

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 Rio das Ostras actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $720 in Rio das Ostras.

Phuket $1,208
Rio das Ostras $720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $1,206 in Rio das Ostras.

Phuket $2,027
Rio das Ostras $1,206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $1,693 in Rio das Ostras.

Phuket $2,845
Rio das Ostras $1,693

Living in Phuket is roughly 68% more expensive than in Rio das Ostras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 11% lower, Rio das Ostras 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$6.11 R$30.99

-27.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$29.93 R$152

7.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$6.91 R$35.02

26.77%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$1.77 R$8.99

59.89%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.33 R$6.73

-32.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$0.62 R$3.13

-24.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$1.21 R$6.16

110.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$3.03 R$15.37

26.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$0.95 R$4.84

82.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.56 R$7.91

-5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.25 R$6.34

20.80%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$1.95 R$9.88

11.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$8.04 R$40.76

145.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$3.49 R$17.68

-4.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$8.56 R$43.40

30.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$1.95 R$9.87

46.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.21 R$6.14

40.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$0.93 R$4.74

135.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$1.27 R$6.45

61.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$0.71 R$3.59

104.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$0.81 R$4.09

70.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$0.57 R$2.91

87.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$0.72 R$3.67

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.27 R$11.53

87.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$9.18 R$46.51

102.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$2.11 R$10.69

-15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$1.44 R$7.28

97.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.02 R$5.18

121.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$43.98 R$223

-49.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$1.37 R$6.95

119.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.76 R$3.87

39.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$8.02 R$40.63

-51.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$1.17 R$5.93

23.93%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$21.1K R$106.8K

24.93%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$31.3K R$158.8K

-14.01%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$69.9 R$354

37.92%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$10.00 R$50.7

10.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$18.83 R$95.5

-8.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$23.61 R$120

121.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$27.53 R$140

-59.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$6.75 R$34.23

15.70%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$327 R$1,658

70.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$7,611 R$38.6K

52.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$56.6 R$287

13.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$28.31 R$144

1.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$66.8 R$338

42.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$48.51 R$246

81.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$198 R$1,004

272.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$151 R$766

205.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$529 R$2,682

295.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$400 R$2,029

199.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$1,730 R$8,770

101.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$1,223 R$6,198

106.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$542 R$2,748

-7.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rio das Ostras: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Rio das Ostras

$151 21% 67.3% $311

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Rio das Ostras

$179 24.8% 33.5% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Rio das Ostras

$99 13.7% 20.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Rio das Ostras

$90 12.5% 27.5% $34

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Rio das Ostras

$111 15.4% 8.6% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Rio das Ostras

$37 5.2% 45.3% $31

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Rio das Ostras

$53 7.4% 35% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $198 in Rio das Ostras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio das Ostras pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $30.00 in Rio das Ostras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $179 per month, with Rio das Ostras cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Rio das Ostras

🕒 Local time

21:18 9:18 PM

11:18 11:18 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

156,491

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Rio das Ostras 15,480 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Rio das Ostras

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 Rio das Ostras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio das Ostras is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Rio das Ostras. 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: $737 in Phuket versus $198 in Rio das Ostras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $327 in Rio das Ostras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $720 in Rio das Ostras versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio das Ostras but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rio das Ostras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio das Ostras 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 das Ostras 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 das Ostras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.