Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vila Real Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Vila Real

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,291 in Vila Real.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,851 in Vila Real.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $2,411 in Vila Real.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 5% less than in Vila Real, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Vila Real 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$9.28 €8.04

-52.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,073

$28.39 €24.61

13.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$7.92 €6.86

12.75%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.3

$1.13 €0.98

156.64%

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

$0.88 ฿29.29

$1.78 €1.54

-50.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$1.14 €0.99

-57.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.2

$3.49 €3.02

-32.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$1.66 €1.44

124.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$0.93 €0.81

101.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.78

$1.43 €1.24

2.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.6

$1.18 €1.03

31.36%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.9

$2.81 €2.44

-25.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$9.63 €8.35

103.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$7.88 €6.83

-56.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$15.21 €13.18

-25.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$1.81 €1.57

64.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.40 €1.22

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.57 €1.36

40.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.9

$2.70 €2.34

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.52 €1.32

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.52

$1.87 €1.62

-28.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.55

$1.22 €1.06

-7.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.18

$0.43 €0.37

27.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$6.22 €5.39

-31.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$4.56 €3.95

318.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.18 €1.02

50.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$1.74 €1.51

59.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.35 €1.17

65.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿756

$25.72 €22.29

-11.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$4.38 €3.80

-30.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.04

$1.78 €1.54

-42.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$17.30 €14.99

-77.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.60

$2.09 €1.81

-28.71%

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

$26.6K ฿884.4K

$32.4K €28.1K

-18.04%

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

$27.0K ฿899.3K

$39.6K €34.4K

-31.83%

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

$102 ฿3,409

$114 €98.9

-10.21%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$17.48 €15.14

-35.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$46.97 €40.70

-62.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,733

$33.07 €28.66

57.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

$10.21 €8.85

8.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$9.00 €7.80

-14.56%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$343 €297

63.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.8K

$10.1K €8,749

13.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,097

$67.7 €58.7

-6.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿982

$31.78 €27.54

-7.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,261

$84.3 €73.1

16.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,944

$81.4 €70.6

8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$803 €696

-8.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$507 €440

-4.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$1,045 €906

101.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$781 €677

56.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.3K

$1,784 €1,546

102.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.6K

$1,343 €1,164

93.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$1,145 €992

-56.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.55

56.90%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Vila Real: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $803 in Vila Real. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vila Real pays 132% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Vila Real for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $228 per month, with Vila Real 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 Vila Real: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 132% lower in Vila Real. 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: $738 in Phuket versus $803 in Vila Real. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $343 in Vila Real. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Vila Real pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,291 in Vila Real, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vila Real. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vila Real, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Vila Real 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Vila Real. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.