Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Rio Tinto

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,208 a month against $1,690 in Rio Tinto, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Rio Tinto
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Rio Tinto Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Rio Tinto

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,690

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Rio Tinto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,690 in Rio Tinto.

Phuket $1,208
Rio Tinto $1,690

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,027 in Phuket versus $2,591 in Rio Tinto.

Phuket $2,027
Rio Tinto $2,591

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,845 in Phuket versus $3,491 in Rio Tinto.

Phuket $2,845
Rio Tinto $3,491

Living in Phuket costs roughly 29% less than in Rio Tinto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 11% below, Rio Tinto is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.40 ฿147

$12.73 €11.32

-65.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,078

$49.59 €44.11

-34.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿293

$9.06 €8.06

-3.31%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿94.5

$2.00 €1.78

41.50%

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

$0.90 ฿30.14

$1.99 €1.77

-54.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ฿15.56

$1.50 €1.33

-68.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 ฿85.2

$3.02 €2.68

-15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ฿128

$2.83 €2.52

35.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ฿57.7

$1.12 €0.99

54.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿49.11

$1.85 €1.65

-20.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ฿50.6

$1.59 €1.41

-5.03%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.7

$2.92 €2.60

-25.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.70 ฿658

$15.53 €13.82

26.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.34 ฿112

$8.29 €7.38

-59.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.16 ฿373

$20.69 €18.40

-46.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ฿95.1

$2.40 €2.14

18.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿56.9

$1.43 €1.27

18.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.3

$2.10 €1.87

4.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 ฿68.4

$2.25 €2.00

-8.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ฿48.57

$1.71 €1.52

-15.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.16

$2.11 €1.88

-34.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.69

$1.61 €1.43

-33.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.91

$1.12 €1.00

-54.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.81 €6.06

-37.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.58 ฿621

$4.97 €4.42

273.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.7

$1.35 €1.20

31.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.2

$2.47 €2.20

15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ฿75.6

$1.77 €1.58

27.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.10 ฿738

$45.29 €40.29

-51.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 ฿101

$4.37 €3.89

-31.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ฿35.34

$0.47 €0.41

125.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 ฿129

$13.56 €12.06

-71.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.45

$2.15 €1.92

-32.56%

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

$26.3K ฿879.9K

$32.8K €29.2K

-19.83%

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

$26.9K ฿900.4K

$37.4K €33.2K

-27.87%

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

$96.4 ฿3,221

$110 €97.9

-12.46%

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

$11.04 ฿369

$17.50 €15.57

-36.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.14 ฿573

$42.98 €38.23

-60.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 ฿1,744

$41.17 €36.62

26.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.16 ฿373

$16.82 €14.96

-33.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ฿261

$8.68 €7.72

-10.02%

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

$556 ฿18.6K

$429 €381

29.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿387.0K

$6,343 €5,642

82.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 ฿2,146

$112 €99.6

-42.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.69 ฿959

$35.80 €31.85

-19.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 ฿3,187

$74.6 €66.4

27.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.0 ฿2,940

$76.8 €68.3

14.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ฿24.6K

$931 €828

-20.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 ฿15.5K

$791 €703

-41.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,095 ฿70.0K

$2,094 €1,863

0.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 ฿40.1K

$1,435 €1,277

-16.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,488 ฿116.6K

$2,998 €2,667

16.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 ฿84.3K

$2,293 €2,039

10.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$501 ฿16.7K

$1,278 €1,137

-60.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.27

70.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rio Tinto: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$462 38.3%

Rio Tinto

$791 46.8% 71% $328

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$269 22.2%

Rio Tinto

$289 17.1% 7.6% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$125 10.3%

Rio Tinto

$171 10.1% 37% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$124 10.3%

Rio Tinto

$135 8% 8.3% $10

Eating Out

Phuket

$121 10%

Rio Tinto

$188 11.1% 54.8% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$68 5.6%

Rio Tinto

$59 3.5% 13.7% $9.3

Getting Around

Phuket

$39 3.3%

Rio Tinto

$59 3.5% 49.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $737 in Phuket and $931 in Rio Tinto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio Tinto pays 155% 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 $50.0 in Rio Tinto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $289 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇹 Rio Tinto

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

01:52 1:52 AM

6 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

51,086

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Rio Tinto 10,820 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
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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 Tinto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 155% lower in Rio Tinto. 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 $931 in Rio Tinto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $556 in Phuket versus $429 in Rio Tinto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Rio Tinto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,208 in Phuket versus $1,690 in Rio Tinto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Rio Tinto. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio Tinto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Rio Tinto 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Rio Tinto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.