Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Trancoso

For one person, living is cheaper in Trancoso: $767 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Trancoso
Learn more

Trancoso Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Trancoso

🇧🇷 Brazil

$767

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Trancoso

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 Trancoso actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $767 in Trancoso.

Phuket $1,278
Trancoso $767

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,226 in Trancoso.

Phuket $2,216
Trancoso $1,226

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,685 in Trancoso.

Phuket $3,154
Trancoso $1,685

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than in Trancoso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Trancoso 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$5.24 R$28.01

-14.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$28.08 R$150

15.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$6.38 R$34.13

38.09%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.5

$1.82 R$9.71

55.49%

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

$0.87 ฿29.43

$1.13 R$6.02

-23.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.67

$0.65 R$3.49

-24.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.4

$1.76 R$9.40

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$2.65 R$14.19

38.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$0.99 R$5.30

67.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.35

$1.48 R$7.92

-1.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.6

$1.13 R$6.07

32.74%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.94 R$10.38

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿644

$8.09 R$43.24

135.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.51 R$18.74

-5.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.45 R$39.83

46.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿99.0

$2.09 R$11.16

40.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.1

$1.25 R$6.70

35.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.15 R$6.14

95.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.45 R$7.76

43.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.15 R$6.13

31.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.56

$1.05 R$5.61

31.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.99

$0.72 R$3.85

48.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.52

$0.62 R$3.32

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.09 R$11.16

100.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.60 R$40.66

147.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.24 R$6.62

46.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.10 R$11.25

35.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.03

$0.91 R$4.89

59.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,913

$39.05 R$209

45.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.11 R$5.94

172.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.36

$0.76 R$4.08

34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$6.22 R$33.24

-40.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.81

$1.08 R$5.79

36.11%

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

$26.8K ฿904.3K

$20.6K R$110.1K

30.03%

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

$26.7K ฿901.3K

$27.1K R$145.1K

-1.68%

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

$96.4 ฿3,254

$59.6 R$319

61.72%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$13.62 R$72.8

-17.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$18.45 R$98.7

-8.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,270

$22.22 R$119

202.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$21.94 R$117

-51.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.32 R$33.79

18.67%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$281 R$1,501

69.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.4K

$6,503 R$34.8K

73.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,106

$47.47 R$254

31.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$42.45 R$227

-33.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,184

$75.1 R$402

25.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,898

$63.8 R$341

34.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$317 R$1,693

126.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$214 R$1,142

129.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.1K

$584 R$3,125

229.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$421 R$2,253

239.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿141.0K

$1,451 R$7,758

187.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,027 R$5,490

196.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.92

-48.99%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Trancoso: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Trancoso

$214 27.8% 56.5% $277

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Trancoso

$172 22.5% 35.2% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Trancoso

$92 12% 26.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Trancoso

$103 13.4% 15.5% $19

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Trancoso

$104 13.6% 14.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Trancoso

$35 4.5% 57.6% $47

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Trancoso

$48 6.2% 32.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $317 in Trancoso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $28 in Trancoso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $172 per month, with Trancoso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Trancoso

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

17:28 5:28 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

18,618

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Trancoso 15,310 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Trancoso

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 Trancoso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trancoso is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,917 in Phuket and $1,151 in Trancoso to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $317 in Trancoso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $281 in Trancoso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $767 in Trancoso versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Trancoso but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Trancoso 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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Trancoso are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Trancoso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.