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 $749 in Teresina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,208 in Teresina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,667 in Teresina.

Living in Phuket is roughly 64% more expensive than in Teresina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Teresina 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.93 R$30.56

-25.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$19.55 R$101

65.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$6.00 R$30.91

48.83%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$2.08 R$10.70

39.42%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.05 R$5.43

-16.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$0.76 R$3.92

-36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$1.55 R$7.99

51.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$3.01 R$15.50

23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.40 R$7.22

33.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$2.22 R$11.46

-33.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$1.42 R$7.34

9.15%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$4.29 R$22.10

-51.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$7.58 R$39.07

158.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.09 R$21.06

-16.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$6.56 R$33.80

73.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$1.93 R$9.95

54.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$0.88 R$4.53

90.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$0.88 R$4.54

151.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$1.29 R$6.63

67.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$1.08 R$5.58

40.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$0.88 R$4.55

52.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$0.50 R$2.56

126.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.48 R$7.62

-62.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$3.12 R$16.06

36.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$9.13 R$47.03

109.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$1.45 R$7.46

22.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

$2.74 R$14.12

1.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$0.95 R$4.92

134.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

$44.40 R$229

-48.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.52 R$7.82

99.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$0.80 R$4.14

27.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$8.08 R$41.60

-51.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.16 R$5.97

28.45%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$22.8K R$117.3K

16.79%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$32.2K R$166.1K

-16.15%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$73.9 R$380

38.75%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$10.28 R$53.0

10.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$17.29 R$89.1

0.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$20.78 R$107

150.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$12.40 R$63.9

-10.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$7.75 R$39.95

-0.77%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$568 R$2,926

-1.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$7,246 R$37.3K

58.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$41.84 R$216

50.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$29.25 R$151

0.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$75.2 R$387

30.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$48.26 R$249

83.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$159 R$819

364.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$150 R$774

221.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$398 R$2,051

429.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$428 R$2,203

186.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$1,342 R$6,915

169.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$751 R$3,868

246.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$382 R$1,970

29.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.06

-49.64%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Teresina: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $159 in Teresina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 29% 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 $20.00 in Teresina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $203 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 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $159 in Teresina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $568 in Teresina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $749 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 64% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.