Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rio de Mouro

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,701 in Rio de Mouro, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Rio de Mouro, Portugal
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Rio de Mouro
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,701
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Rio de Mouro

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,701 in Rio de Mouro.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Rio de Mouro $1,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,671 in Rio de Mouro.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Rio de Mouro $2,671

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,641 in Rio de Mouro.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Rio de Mouro $3,641

Living in Phuket costs roughly 25% less than in Rio de Mouro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Rio de Mouro is 25% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Rio de Mouro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$17.23 €15.39
-74.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$55.2 €49.27
-41.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$9.36 €8.36
-5.88%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.2
$2.52 €2.25
12.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.36
$1.48 €1.32
-41.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.63
$1.21 €1.08
-59.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$3.39 €3.03
-24.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$3.99 €3.57
-7.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Rio de Mouro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$1.02 €0.91
62.75%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.24
$1.25 €1.11
16.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$1.60 €1.43
-6.25%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$3.40 €3.04
-38.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$8.77 €7.83
117.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$7.72 €6.89
-57.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$15.12 €13.50
-27.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$2.90 €2.59
1.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.38 €1.23
22.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$1.66 €1.48
35.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿69.9
$2.55 €2.28
-18.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$2.05 €1.83
-26.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.45
$1.68 €1.50
-17.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.90
$1.09 €0.98
-1.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.48
$0.80 €0.72
-35.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$6.11 €5.46
-31.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$4.39 €3.92
328.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$0.88 €0.79
106.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$2.48 €2.22
14.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Rio de Mouro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.91
$2.07 €1.85
-29.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
$44.90 €40.09
26.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$3.64 €3.25
-17.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.28
$0.79 €0.71
29.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$17.08 €15.25
-78.40%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.69
$2.20 €1.97
-33.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.1K
$33.0K €29.4K
-18.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.2K
$38.1K €34.0K
-29.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Rio de Mouro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,246
$106 €95.0
-9.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$20.95 €18.70
-46.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$39.01 €34.84
-56.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Rio de Mouro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,265
$39.40 €35.18
70.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$8.04 €7.18
-6.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Rio de Mouro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$584 €522
-18.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.5K
$11.0K €9,841
2.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Rio de Mouro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,101
$67.6 €60.4
-7.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$44.88 €40.08
-36.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,177
$71.0 €63.4
32.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,891
$55.6 €49.60
54.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Rio de Mouro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$1,112 €993
-35.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$843 €752
-41.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$1,538 €1,373
25.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$1,659 €1,481
-13.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Rio de Mouro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$868 €775
-42.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
3.85
44.68%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rio de Mouro: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Rio de Mouro
$843 71.6% $352
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Rio de Mouro
$237 11% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Rio de Mouro
$166 33.7% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Rio de Mouro
$108 11.7% $14
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Rio de Mouro
$232 90.5% $110
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Rio de Mouro
$55 32.5% $27
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Rio de Mouro
$61 13.9% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $1,112 in Rio de Mouro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Mouro pays 73% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $55 in Rio de Mouro. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $237, with Rio de Mouro cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇵🇹 Rio de Mouro
🕒 Local time
22:01 10:01 PM
15:01 3:01 PM
7 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
49,493
💱 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 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.68 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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

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 de Mouro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Phuket cheaper than Rio de Mouro?
Phuket is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in eating out and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Phuket or Rio de Mouro?
On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Phuket and Rio de Mouro?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $1,112 in Rio de Mouro. 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 $584 in Rio de Mouro. 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 Rio de Mouro?
Shoppers in Rio de Mouro pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Phuket or in Rio de Mouro?
At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,701 in Rio de Mouro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rio de Mouro. 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 Rio de Mouro?
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 Rio de Mouro?
Safety-wise, Phuket and Rio de Mouro are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Phuket wins on affordability, Rio de Mouro on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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