Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ubatuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ubatuba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $822 in Ubatuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,316 in Ubatuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,809 in Ubatuba.

Living in Phuket is roughly 54% more expensive than Ubatuba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ubatuba 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.81 R$34.06

-30.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$26.14 R$131

73.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$4.37 R$21.85

92.91%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.34 R$6.69

118.66%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.29 R$6.43

-46.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.81 R$4.07

-54.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.83 R$9.17

31.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.72 R$13.60

36.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.02 R$5.12

118.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.58 R$7.89

15.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.17 R$5.86

85.47%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.36 R$11.81

-6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$2.77 R$13.87

612.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.70 R$18.50

-1.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.04 R$35.22

92.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.48 R$7.38

121.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.06 R$5.29

51.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.06 R$5.33

127.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.63 R$8.16

27.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.11 R$5.55

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.10 R$5.50

34.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.86 R$4.32

15.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.53 R$2.64

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.78 R$8.89

147.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.26 R$41.34

134.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.36 R$6.80

30.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.97 R$9.88

37.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.92 R$4.62

48.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$38.43 R$192

-70.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.11 R$5.56

172.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.63 R$3.14

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.60 R$38.02

85.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.07 R$5.37

27.10%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$22.6K R$113.2K

24.65%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.1K R$140.8K

16.97%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$52.1 R$261

133.68%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.07 R$40.38

68.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$18.26 R$91.4

0.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$22.39 R$112

168.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$21.20 R$106

-19.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.35 R$36.76

18.23%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$321 R$1,608

115.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$8,688 R$43.5K

80.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$55.8 R$279

6.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$57.3 R$287

-39.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$75.0 R$376

52.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$75.8 R$379

9.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$356 R$1,784

72.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$272 R$1,359

60.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$708 R$3,543

195.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$540 R$2,704

179.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,759 R$8,800

113.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$375 R$1,877

35.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.17

-52.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ubatuba: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $356 in Ubatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 35% 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 Ubatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $157 per month, with Ubatuba 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 Ubatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubatuba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 35% 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 $356 in Ubatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $321 in Ubatuba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $822 in Ubatuba versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ubatuba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ubatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ubatuba 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 Ubatuba 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 Ubatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.