Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Teresina Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Teresina

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $625 in Teresina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,038 in Teresina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,451 in Teresina.

Living in Phuket is roughly 97% more expensive than Teresina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Teresina 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.44 R$27.15

-14.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$27.04 R$135

73.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.12 R$30.53

44.44%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.81 R$9.02

65.75%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.08 R$5.39

-31.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.67 R$3.33

-44.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.81 R$9.04

34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.71 R$13.55

33.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.20 R$6.01

88.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$2.18 R$10.88

-15.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.24 R$6.19

80.65%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$3.54 R$17.66

-34.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.14 R$40.60

141.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.54 R$17.67

3.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.17 R$35.79

82.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.59 R$7.92

113.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.25 R$6.21

31.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.15 R$5.75

109.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.52 R$7.56

33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.14 R$5.69

36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.11 R$5.53

35.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.69 R$3.46

47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.62 R$3.11

-20.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.15 R$10.75

106.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$7.84 R$39.13

140.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.20 R$6.01

48.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.09 R$10.42

31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.69 R$3.42

102.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$39.25 R$196

-70.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.11 R$5.54

181.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.93 R$4.66

7.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$6.41 R$32.00

119.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.10 R$5.50

22.73%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$20.9K R$104.3K

30.04%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.4K R$136.8K

20.13%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$60.5 R$302

106.61%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.48 R$67.3

0.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$16.11 R$80.4

14.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$18.56 R$92.6

231.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.91 R$109

-23.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$8.03 R$40.09

14.45%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$268 R$1,338

160.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,486 R$32.4K

140.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$26.70 R$133

116.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$20.84 R$104

69.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$54.1 R$270

109.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$41.74 R$208

106.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$137 R$681

351.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$98.8 R$493

351.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$339 R$1,693

503.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$245 R$1,221

509.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,359 R$6,782

177.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$769 R$3,838

244.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$432 R$2,156

21.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Teresina: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $137 in Teresina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 21% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Teresina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $186 per month, with Teresina 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 Teresina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Teresina is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 21% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $137 in Teresina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $268 in Teresina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $625 in Teresina versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Teresina but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Teresina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Teresina 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 Teresina 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 Teresina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.