Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Timbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Timbo: $717 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Timbo
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Timbo Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Timbo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$717

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Timbo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Timbo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $717 in Timbo.

Phuket $1,294
Timbo $717

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,165 in Timbo.

Phuket $2,204
Timbo $1,165

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,614 in Timbo.

Phuket $3,115
Timbo $1,614

Living in Phuket is roughly 80% more expensive than in Timbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Timbo 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿148

$4.62 R$25.22

-4.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,090

$36.83 R$201

-12.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿294

$3.81 R$20.78

128.35%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.9

$1.88 R$10.24

44.68%

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

$0.93 ฿31.39

$0.99 R$5.42

-6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.85

$0.68 R$3.72

-26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.4

$1.80 R$9.82

40.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$2.19 R$11.93

65.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.7

$0.81 R$4.41

114.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.95

$1.43 R$7.81

1.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.7

$0.81 R$4.41

85.19%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.3

$1.67 R$9.12

29.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿644

$7.65 R$41.77

149.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿115

$3.24 R$17.70

4.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿368

$6.93 R$37.86

57.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿99.2

$1.68 R$9.20

75.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$0.67 R$3.68

152.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿74.0

$0.77 R$4.21

184.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.7

$1.29 R$7.04

64.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿49.21

$0.81 R$4.43

80.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿46.15

$0.75 R$4.09

82.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.30

$0.63 R$3.44

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.41

$0.78 R$4.26

-29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$1.46 R$8.00

203.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿616

$4.52 R$24.66

303.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.8

$1.00 R$5.48

77.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿97.2

$1.90 R$10.38

51.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.84

$0.94 R$5.16

54.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,852

$41.54 R$227

32.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.18 R$6.44

27.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.18

$0.78 R$4.23

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿130

$5.79 R$31.63

-33.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿50.2

$0.92 R$5.01

61.96%

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

$26.9K ฿907.0K

$21.4K R$116.7K

25.77%

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

$26.3K ฿888.9K

$25.5K R$139.4K

3.22%

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

$97.8 ฿3,300

$52.5 R$286

86.45%

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

$11.29 ฿381

$11.97 R$65.4

-5.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿580

$21.39 R$117

-19.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,305

$24.49 R$134

179.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿368

$25.53 R$139

-57.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿251

$5.52 R$30.13

34.60%

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

$530 ฿17.9K

$225 R$1,229

135.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿633.7K

$2,629 R$14.4K

614.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,081

$29.98 R$164

105.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿953

$36.59 R$200

-22.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,239

$56.4 R$308

70.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,929

$45.64 R$249

90.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.3K

$340 R$1,857

112.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.2K

$231 R$1,260

120.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.8K

$625 R$3,413

211.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿47.1K

$443 R$2,418

215.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿141.4K

$1,569 R$8,567

167.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿111.3K

$1,128 R$6,162

192.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.6K

$640 R$3,495

-23.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-49.36%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Timbo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Timbo

$231 32.2% 54.7% $278

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Timbo

$148 20.6% 44.6% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Timbo

$86 12% 32% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Timbo

$76 10.6% 38.2% $47

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Timbo

$91 12.7% 23.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Timbo

$36 5% 57.3% $48

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Timbo

$50 7% 23.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $340 in Timbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Timbo pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $37 in Timbo. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $148, with Timbo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Timbo

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

21:01 9:01 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

46,099

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Timbo 16,010 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Timbo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Timbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timbo is about 45% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Phuket. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $721 in Phuket versus $340 in Timbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $225 in Timbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $717 in Timbo versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Timbo but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Timbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.