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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $838 in Vila Velha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,322 in Vila Velha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,807 in Vila Velha.

Living in Phuket is roughly 51% more expensive than Vila Velha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Vila Velha 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.43 R$32.16

-26.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$28.32 R$142

60.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$7.00 R$35.01

20.43%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.67 R$8.34

75.45%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.14 R$5.69

-39.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.55 R$2.75

-32.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.57 R$7.88

53.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.72 R$13.62

36.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.79 R$3.96

182.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.44 R$7.21

27.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.04 R$5.21

108.65%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$1.61 R$8.04

37.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$7.43 R$37.16

165.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.74 R$18.71

-2.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$6.47 R$32.37

109.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.00 R$10.00

64.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.22 R$6.08

31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.18 R$5.88

104.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.29 R$6.48

61.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.19 R$5.97

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.30 R$6.48

13.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.44 R$2.20

125.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.52 R$2.59

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.85 R$14.28

54.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$9.17 R$45.89

111.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.93 R$4.64

91.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$2.29 R$11.46

18.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.81 R$4.08

69.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$53.3 R$267

-78.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.07 R$5.35

182.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.73 R$3.65

35.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$3.83 R$19.15

268.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.07 R$5.34

27.10%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$25.7K R$128.6K

9.73%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$33.0K R$165.1K

-0.27%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$125 R$626

-2.78%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$17.27 R$86.4

-21.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$17.14 R$85.8

6.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$26.22 R$131

129.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$21.36 R$107

-19.76%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.30 R$26.50

63.96%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$412 R$2,062

68.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$6,472 R$32.4K

142.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$36.79 R$184

61.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$40.18 R$201

-13.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$55.0 R$275

108.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$64.2 R$321

29.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$298 R$1,489

106.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$213 R$1,066

105.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$520 R$2,601

302.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$473 R$2,368

218.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$2,037 R$10.2K

84.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$2,026 R$10.1K

29.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$418 R$2,092

21.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.38

-48.65%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Vila Velha: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $298 in Vila Velha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 22% 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 $28.00 in Vila Velha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $163 per month, with Vila Velha 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 Velha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vila Velha is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 22% 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 $298 in Vila Velha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $412 in Vila Velha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $838 in Vila Velha versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Vila Velha but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Vila Velha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vila Velha 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 Vila Velha 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 Vila Velha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.