Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Serra

For one person, living is cheaper in Serra: $821 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Serra
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Serra Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Serra

🇧🇷 Brazil

$821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Serra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $821 in Serra.

Phuket $1,294
Serra $821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,216 in Serra.

Phuket $2,204
Serra $1,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,612 in Serra.

Phuket $3,115
Serra $1,612

Living in Phuket is roughly 58% more expensive than in Serra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Serra 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$4.68 R$25.54

-6.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$21.32 R$116

51.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$7.26 R$39.62

19.83%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$1.87 R$10.23

45.45%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$1.19 R$6.53

-21.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.58 R$3.17

-13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$1.88 R$10.24

34.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$2.77 R$15.12

31.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$1.04 R$5.68

67.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$1.74 R$9.52

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$1.06 R$5.78

41.51%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.94 R$10.61

11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$9.88 R$54.0

93.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$4.13 R$22.53

-17.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$8.05 R$43.95

35.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$2.64 R$14.40

11.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.39 R$7.58

21.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$1.66 R$9.08

31.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$1.52 R$8.28

39.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$1.13 R$6.19

29.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$1.04 R$5.69

31.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$1.18 R$6.46

-8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$1.28 R$6.97

-57.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.33 R$12.72

90.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$5.15 R$28.14

254.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$0.96 R$5.22

84.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$3.05 R$16.63

-5.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$0.84 R$4.58

72.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

$44.66 R$244

22.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.18 R$6.44

27.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

$1.03 R$5.63

-24.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

$7.39 R$40.35

-48.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$1.05 R$5.76

41.90%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$21.8K R$118.8K

23.55%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$30.7K R$167.8K

-14.26%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$143 R$782

-31.67%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$11.42 R$62.4

-1.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$19.71 R$108

-12.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$23.79 R$130

187.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$26.19 R$143

-58.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$6.75 R$36.86

10.07%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$171 R$934

210.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$6,729 R$36.7K

179.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$52.8 R$289

16.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$46.73 R$255

-39.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$84.5 R$462

13.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$65.7 R$359

32.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$233 R$1,271

209.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$142 R$776

257.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$415 R$2,267

369.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$202 R$1,103

591.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$902 R$4,927

364.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$514 R$2,808

541.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

$505 R$2,759

-2.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Serra: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Serra

$142 17.3% 72.1% $367

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Serra

$197 24% 26.3% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Serra

$174 21.2% 38% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Serra

$112 13.7% 8.4% $10

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Serra

$104 12.6% 13.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Serra

$37 4.5% 55.2% $46

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Serra

$54 6.6% 17.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $233 in Serra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serra pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $21 in Serra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $197 per month, with Serra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Serra

🕒 Local time

13:02 1:02 PM

03:02 3:02 AM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

520,653

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Serra 15,370 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Serra

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 Serra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Serra is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $233 in Serra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $171 in Serra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $821 in Serra versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Serra but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Serra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Serra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.