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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $686 in Teresopolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,100 in Teresopolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,515 in Teresopolis.

Living in Phuket is roughly 85% more expensive than Teresopolis, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.63 R$18.38

29.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$25.68 R$130

76.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.24 R$31.58

35.10%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.60 R$8.09

83.13%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.33 R$6.73

-48.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.73 R$3.70

-49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.77 R$8.95

36.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.63 R$13.30

41.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.16 R$5.85

92.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.76 R$8.92

3.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.43 R$7.25

51.75%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.02 R$10.25

9.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.92 R$40.10

149.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.68 R$18.62

-1.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.71 R$39.06

75.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.21 R$11.17

48.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.23 R$6.21

30.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.47 R$7.45

63.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.50 R$7.61

38.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.25 R$6.33

22.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.15 R$5.81

28.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.63 R$3.19

57.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.62 R$3.13

-17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.95 R$9.86

126.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$5.85 R$29.60

231.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.25 R$6.34

42.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.12 R$10.73

27.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.85 R$4.31

61.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$23.89 R$121

-52.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.87 R$4.42

247.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.67 R$3.39

47.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$2.11 R$10.67

568.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.07 R$5.42

27.10%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$20.9K R$105.8K

35.02%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.2K R$137.9K

20.82%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$27.30 R$138

345.79%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$12.23 R$61.9

10.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$16.96 R$85.9

7.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$24.31 R$123

147.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$17.94 R$90.9

-4.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.54 R$28.07

56.86%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$265 R$1,342

161.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$11.7K R$59.4K

33.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$21.55 R$109

176.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$26.50 R$134

31.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$76.0 R$385

50.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$61.9 R$314

34.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$321 R$1,627

90.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$216 R$1,092

102.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$346 R$1,754

504.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$422 R$2,138

257.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,214 R$6,148

208.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$494 R$2,499

2.95%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Teresopolis: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $321 in Teresopolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 3% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $26.00 in Teresopolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $178 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 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 3% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $321 in Teresopolis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $265 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 $686 in Teresopolis versus $1,265 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 85% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.