Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vila Nova de Gaia

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,278 a month against $1,747 in Vila Nova de Gaia, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
83

Cost of Living Index in Vila Nova de Gaia
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Vila Nova de Gaia Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Vila Nova de Gaia

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Vila Nova de Gaia

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 Vila Nova de Gaia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,747 in Vila Nova de Gaia.

Phuket $1,278
Vila Nova de Gaia $1,747

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $2,639 in Vila Nova de Gaia.

Phuket $2,216
Vila Nova de Gaia $2,639

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $3,530 in Vila Nova de Gaia.

Phuket $3,154
Vila Nova de Gaia $3,530

Living in Phuket costs roughly 27% less than in Vila Nova de Gaia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Vila Nova de Gaia is 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.21 €11.83

-66.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,093

$51.1 €45.75

-36.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$11.33 €10.15

-22.24%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$1.92 €1.72

47.40%

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

$0.87 ฿29.41

$2.04 €1.83

-57.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.65

$1.52 €1.36

-67.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.20 €1.97

16.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.94 €3.53

-6.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿55.9

$1.10 €0.98

50.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.31

$1.62 €1.45

-9.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.59 €1.42

-5.66%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$3.60 €3.23

-41.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$11.60 €10.39

64.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.62 €6.83

-56.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$16.88 €15.12

-35.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.30 €2.06

27.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.65 €1.47

2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.99 €1.78

13.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.0

$2.47 €2.21

-15.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$1.76 €1.58

-14.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.52

$1.95 €1.75

-29.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.96

$1.54 €1.38

-30.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$0.73 €0.65

-28.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$6.57 €5.88

-36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$5.55 €4.97

238.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.35 €1.21

34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.8

$2.55 €2.29

11.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.98

$1.93 €1.73

-24.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$37.88 €33.93

49.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$4.45 €3.99

-32.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.33

$0.88 €0.79

15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$16.97 €15.20

-78.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.76

$2.14 €1.92

-31.31%

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

$26.8K ฿903.4K

$33.5K €30.0K

-20.14%

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

$26.7K ฿900.5K

$37.9K €34.0K

-29.63%

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

$96.4 ฿3,251

$162 €145

-40.67%

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

$11.26 ฿380

$19.93 €17.85

-43.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿568

$37.07 €33.20

-54.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,268

$116 €104

-42.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$14.58 €13.06

-26.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$8.55 €7.66

-12.28%

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

$476 ฿16.1K

$549 €492

-13.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.0K

$10.7K €9,551

5.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,104

$104 €92.8

-39.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿958

$33.01 €29.56

-13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,181

$93.8 €84.0

0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,895

$115 €103

-25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$910 €815

-21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$729 €653

-32.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,793 €1,605

7.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$1,283 €1,149

11.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$3,331 €2,983

25.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.7K

$2,490 €2,230

22.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿16.9K

$1,455 €1,303

-65.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.27

70.34%

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

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vila Nova de Gaia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Vila Nova de Gaia

$729 41.7% 48.5% $238

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Vila Nova de Gaia

$260 14.9% 2.3% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Vila Nova de Gaia

$219 12.6% 76.3% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Vila Nova de Gaia

$155 8.9% 27.4% $33

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Vila Nova de Gaia

$196 11.2% 60.9% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Vila Nova de Gaia

$133 7.6% 61.9% $51

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Vila Nova de Gaia

$54 3.1% 22.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $910 in Vila Nova de Gaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vila Nova de Gaia pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $51 in Vila Nova de Gaia. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $260, with Vila Nova de Gaia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇵🇹 Vila Nova de Gaia

🕒 Local time

05:16 5:16 AM

22:16 10:16 PM

7 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

303,854

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Phuket Vila Nova de Gaia 10,820 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Vila Nova de Gaia

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 Vila Nova de Gaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 65% 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: $716 in Phuket versus $910 in Vila Nova de Gaia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $549 in Vila Nova de Gaia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $51 in Vila Nova de Gaia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,278 in Phuket versus $1,747 in Vila Nova de Gaia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vila Nova de Gaia. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket 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 – Phuket wins on affordability, Vila Nova de Gaia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.