Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Trancoso Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Trancoso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,264 in Phuket versus $778 in Trancoso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $1,241 in Trancoso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,703 in Trancoso.

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than in Trancoso, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Trancoso 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿151

$5.37 R$27.47

-16.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,532

$27.46 R$140

66.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿294

$6.47 R$33.10

35.39%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.7

$1.75 R$8.97

69.71%

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

$0.69 ฿23.07

$1.13 R$5.79

-38.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.13

$0.62 R$3.16

-37.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.1

$1.82 R$9.32

39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿126

$2.72 R$13.89

37.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿72.1

$1.00 R$5.10

115.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿61.0

$1.45 R$7.42

25.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.4

$1.18 R$6.06

84.75%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.03 R$10.37

10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿672

$8.29 R$42.42

141.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿122

$3.64 R$18.61

-0.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿455

$7.24 R$37.03

87.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿109

$2.06 R$10.52

57.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿55.0

$1.31 R$6.70

25.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿78.3

$1.20 R$6.12

94.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.6

$1.46 R$7.48

41.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿52.0

$1.20 R$6.13

29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.89

$1.06 R$5.40

37.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿33.09

$0.72 R$3.69

36.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.21

$0.62 R$3.17

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿146

$2.15 R$11.02

102.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿624

$7.35 R$37.61

152.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.4

$1.23 R$6.27

51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿89.2

$2.09 R$10.69

26.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.62

$0.92 R$4.71

54.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿389

$38.32 R$196

-69.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.07 R$5.47

196.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.66

$0.70 R$3.58

47.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿467

$6.34 R$32.43

119.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿45.16

$1.03 R$5.28

30.10%

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

$27.8K ฿933.8K

$20.8K R$106.6K

33.42%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$27.9K R$142.8K

19.62%

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

$123 ฿4,134

$60.1 R$308

104.67%

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

$13.77 ฿463

$13.53 R$69.2

1.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿616

$18.66 R$95.5

-1.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,039

$22.91 R$117

164.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿577

$21.90 R$112

-21.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿298

$6.48 R$33.15

36.88%

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

$688 ฿23.1K

$280 R$1,434

145.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿530.2K

$6,377 R$32.6K

147.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,992

$47.56 R$243

24.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,166

$43.13 R$221

-19.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,870

$75.0 R$384

53.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,814

$63.0 R$322

32.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.9K

$312 R$1,595

99.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿15.0K

$212 R$1,085

110.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿68.3K

$584 R$2,987

248.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.3K

$422 R$2,158

254.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿116.1K

$1,471 R$7,527

134.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿85.0K

$1,019 R$5,216

148.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Trancoso: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $312 in Trancoso. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Trancoso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $173 per month, with Trancoso 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 Trancoso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trancoso is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,896 in Phuket and $1,167 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: $621 in Phuket versus $312 in Trancoso. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $280 in Trancoso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $778 in Trancoso versus $1,264 in Phuket, a $1,500 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.

For families, Trancoso 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 Trancoso 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 Trancoso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.