Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salvador Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Salvador

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $787 in Salvador.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,209 in Salvador.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,630 in Salvador.

Living in Phuket is roughly 59% more expensive than in Salvador, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Salvador 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.33 R$32.35

-28.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,550

$27.22 R$139

69.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.73 R$34.40

31.35%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.80 R$9.20

70.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.36

$0.76 R$3.89

-3.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.37

$0.62 R$3.16

-35.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.6

$2.14 R$10.93

13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$4.07 R$20.78

-7.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿75.8

$1.14 R$5.80

98.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.8

$1.30 R$6.64

39.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.19 R$6.09

89.08%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.4

$1.87 R$9.54

20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿655

$9.11 R$46.56

114.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿122

$3.86 R$19.72

-5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿438

$6.57 R$33.56

98.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.61 R$8.24

100.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.3

$1.56 R$7.97

3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.0

$0.84 R$4.28

183.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.0

$1.16 R$5.95

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.5

$0.99 R$5.08

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.4

$1.24 R$6.33

20.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.85

$0.68 R$3.47

44.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.36

$0.77 R$3.95

-32.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.00 R$10.24

122.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿615

$5.81 R$29.69

215.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.6

$1.26 R$6.44

47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.0

$1.92 R$9.84

39.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.37

$0.93 R$4.74

51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$44.84 R$229

-73.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿104

$1.03 R$5.27

201.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.00

$1.08 R$5.54

-3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$9.09 R$46.46

55.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.02

$1.03 R$5.25

27.18%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$17.9K R$91.7K

55.01%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.3K R$134.5K

26.22%

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

$122 ฿4,110

$68.0 R$347

80.14%

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

$13.59 ฿456

$14.32 R$73.2

-5.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿628

$16.22 R$82.9

15.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,031

$19.95 R$102

203.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿570

$27.48 R$140

-38.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.68 R$29.05

59.68%

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

$706 ฿23.7K

$225 R$1,149

214.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.5K

$10.7K R$54.6K

47.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,965

$52.1 R$266

12.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,187

$30.02 R$153

17.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,876

$67.6 R$346

70.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,811

$77.7 R$397

7.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$261 R$1,336

139.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿14.9K

$216 R$1,106

105.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.5K

$536 R$2,740

280.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.1K

$345 R$1,765

332.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿116.9K

$2,097 R$10.7K

66.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.5K

$1,340 R$6,851

92.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$382 R$1,954

30.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.35

-48.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Salvador: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $261 in Salvador. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 31% 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 $27.00 in Salvador for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $169 per month, with Salvador 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 Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salvador is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $626 in Phuket versus $261 in Salvador. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $225 in Salvador. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $787 in Salvador versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Salvador but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Salvador the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Salvador 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 Salvador 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 Salvador gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.