Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ubatuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubatuba: $790 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Ubatuba
Learn more

Ubatuba Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Ubatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$790

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Ubatuba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $790 in Ubatuba.

Phuket $1,278
Ubatuba $790

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,256 in Ubatuba.

Phuket $2,216
Ubatuba $1,256

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,722 in Ubatuba.

Phuket $3,154
Ubatuba $1,722

Living in Phuket is roughly 62% more expensive than in Ubatuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ubatuba 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$6.82 R$37.09

-34.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$27.03 R$147

19.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$4.78 R$25.97

84.31%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.37 R$7.44

106.57%

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

$0.87 ฿29.40

$1.24 R$6.77

-29.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$0.81 R$4.42

-39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.24 R$12.18

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.64 R$19.77

1.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$0.92 R$5.01

80.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.29

$1.71 R$9.27

-14.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.27 R$6.93

18.11%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$2.31 R$12.57

-9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$2.76 R$15.02

590.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$3.78 R$20.53

-12.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$7.32 R$39.79

49.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.8

$1.52 R$8.24

92.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.10 R$5.97

53.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.7

$1.11 R$6.02

102.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$1.31 R$7.10

58.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.14 R$6.18

32.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.51

$1.14 R$6.21

21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.95

$0.85 R$4.64

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.50

$0.58 R$3.14

-10.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$2.29 R$12.44

83.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$7.42 R$40.32

153.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.4

$1.47 R$7.99

23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.31 R$12.58

22.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.97

$0.97 R$5.29

49.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,911

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$1.09 R$5.95

177.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.32

$0.71 R$3.86

43.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿124

$8.10 R$44.06

-54.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.75

$1.23 R$6.71

19.51%

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

$26.8K ฿903.2K

$22.2K R$120.5K

20.85%

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

$26.7K ฿900.3K

$31.8K R$173.1K

-16.17%

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

$96.4 ฿3,250

$61.4 R$334

56.97%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$8.67 R$47.13

29.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$18.41 R$100

-8.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$11.06 R$60.2

507.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$7.39 R$40.20

1.49%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$414 R$2,253

14.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿379.9K

$10.2K R$55.3K

10.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,103

$61.4 R$334

1.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$53.1 R$288

-46.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,180

$84.8 R$461

11.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,894

$74.2 R$403

15.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.1K

$366 R$1,991

95.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$275 R$1,493

78.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$735 R$3,997

162.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$562 R$3,054

154.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.8K

$1,656 R$9,005

152.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$352 R$1,916

42.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.81

-48.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubatuba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Ubatuba

$275 34.7% 44.1% $216

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Ubatuba

$158 20% 40.8% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Ubatuba

$88 11.2% 28.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ubatuba

$123 15.6% 0.9% $1.2

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Ubatuba

$112 14.2% 7.9% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Ubatuba

$26 3.3% 68.6% $56

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Ubatuba

$8.5 * 1.1% 87.9% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $366 in Ubatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 43% 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: $32 in Phuket vs $27 in Ubatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $158 per month, with Ubatuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Ubatuba

🕒 Local time

22:55 10:55 PM

12:55 12:55 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

92,981

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.73 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.64 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Ubatuba 15,760 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Ubatuba

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 Ubatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubatuba is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Phuket, 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: $716 in Phuket versus $366 in Ubatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $414 in Ubatuba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubatuba – a meal for two runs $27 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $790 in Ubatuba versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Ubatuba wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.