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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $620 in Teresina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,040 in Teresina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,460 in Teresina.

Living in Phuket is roughly 104% more expensive than in Teresina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Teresina 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$5.27 R$26.76

-14.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,521

$26.66 R$135

71.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$6.40 R$32.48

36.87%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.0

$1.80 R$9.13

65.00%

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

$0.69 ฿22.90

$1.12 R$5.70

-38.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.04

$0.67 R$3.39

-41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.4

$1.75 R$8.90

44.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.73 R$13.84

37.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$1.24 R$6.28

73.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$2.17 R$11.02

-16.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿72.9

$1.25 R$6.34

74.40%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.0

$3.58 R$18.17

-37.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿667

$8.27 R$41.98

141.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.70 R$18.79

-1.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿452

$7.12 R$36.12

90.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.61 R$8.18

101.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.29 R$6.56

27.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.8

$1.15 R$5.86

102.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.1

$1.50 R$7.62

38.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.14 R$5.81

35.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.54

$1.11 R$5.62

31.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.86

$0.74 R$3.78

32.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.09

$0.62 R$3.16

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$2.15 R$10.91

102.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$9.40 R$47.72

97.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿61.9

$1.26 R$6.37

47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.6

$2.09 R$10.59

26.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.28

$0.70 R$3.56

102.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$38.56 R$196

-69.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.11 R$5.64

185.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.41

$0.89 R$4.52

15.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿463

$6.37 R$32.34

118.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.84

$1.10 R$5.58

21.82%

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

$27.8K ฿927.1K

$20.4K R$103.4K

36.39%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.6K R$140.0K

21.00%

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

$123 ฿4,105

$61.7 R$313

99.50%

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

$13.77 ฿459

$13.39 R$67.9

2.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿611

$16.27 R$82.6

12.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,025

$19.10 R$96.9

217.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$21.85 R$111

-21.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$8.07 R$40.93

9.91%

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

$688 ฿22.9K

$269 R$1,363

156.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.4K

$6,560 R$33.3K

140.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,978

$26.74 R$136

121.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,157

$20.37 R$103

70.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,843

$54.8 R$278

110.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,794

$41.73 R$212

100.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$137 R$695

353.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$101 R$513

341.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.8K

$333 R$1,689

511.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿49.9K

$240 R$1,218

523.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.3K

$1,364 R$6,923

153.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.4K

$756 R$3,834

234.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$414 R$2,101

19.21%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Teresina: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $137 in Teresina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 19% 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 Teresina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $191 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 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $137 in Teresina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $269 in Teresina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $620 in Teresina versus $1,264 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 104% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.