Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Teresopolis Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Teresopolis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $682 in Teresopolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,099 in Teresopolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,517 in Teresopolis.

Living in Phuket is roughly 83% more expensive than in Teresopolis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Teresopolis 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.51 R$17.86

29.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$25.07 R$128

84.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.20 R$31.55

42.58%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.55 R$7.88

97.42%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.34 R$6.80

-45.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.71 R$3.64

-43.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.81 R$9.23

34.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.67 R$13.57

41.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.17 R$5.95

93.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.75 R$8.92

3.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.43 R$7.28

57.34%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$2.04 R$10.36

10.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$7.54 R$38.39

158.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.54 R$18.01

3.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.64 R$38.89

70.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.20 R$11.22

46.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.29 R$6.55

25.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$1.46 R$7.43

63.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.56 R$7.94

30.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.23 R$6.26

24.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.15 R$5.85

30.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.64 R$3.25

53.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.57 R$2.88

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.02 R$10.29

119.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$5.93 R$30.18

208.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.21 R$6.16

53.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.13 R$10.82

25.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.77 R$3.92

83.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$23.80 R$121

-50.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.93 R$4.73

234.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.69 R$3.52

50.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$2.11 R$10.73

568.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$1.02 R$5.20

28.43%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$20.2K R$103.0K

37.44%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.4K R$139.4K

21.33%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$26.52 R$135

361.69%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$12.32 R$62.7

10.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$17.27 R$87.9

8.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$24.43 R$124

147.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$18.30 R$93.2

-7.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.37 R$27.36

68.90%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$274 R$1,394

157.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$11.4K R$58.2K

38.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$22.01 R$112

166.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$26.60 R$135

32.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$75.9 R$386

52.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$62.2 R$316

34.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$315 R$1,604

98.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$218 R$1,110

104.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$343 R$1,745

495.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$424 R$2,158

251.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,156 R$5,884

201.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$473 R$2,409

5.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.33

-52.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Teresopolis: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $315 in Teresopolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 6% 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 $25.00 in Teresopolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $176 per month, with Teresopolis 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 Teresopolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Teresopolis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% 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 $315 in Teresopolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $274 in Teresopolis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $682 in Teresopolis versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Teresopolis but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Teresopolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Teresopolis 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 Teresopolis 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 Teresopolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.