Cost of Living Comparison Between Portimao and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Portimao and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,600 in Portimao versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,455 in Portimao versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,311 in Portimao versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Portimao is roughly 28% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Portimao is 16% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.09 €12.12

$4.56 ฿150

208.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.5 €60.6

$32.62 ฿1,073

116.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 €9.43

$8.90 ฿293

23.26%

Cappuccino

$1.84 €1.58

$2.80 ฿92.2

-34.29%

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

$2.18 €1.88

$0.88 ฿28.94

147.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.43

$0.49 ฿16.08

240.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.39 ฿78.5

10.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.78

$3.71 ฿122

18.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.79 ฿58.8

-37.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.44 ฿47.40

22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.58 ฿52.1

10.13%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.80

$2.13 ฿69.9

52.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 €10.57

$19.92 ฿655

-38.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 €6.61

$3.43 ฿113

124.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 €9.81

$11.33 ฿372

0.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 €2.10

$2.95 ฿97.0

-16.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.41

$1.72 ฿56.6

-4.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 €1.21

$2.32 ฿76.5

-39.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.08 ฿68.4

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.47 ฿48.34

44.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.36 ฿44.65

74.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.67 €1.43

$1.10 ฿36.13

51.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.66

$0.57 ฿18.89

35.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.09 €5.23

$4.27 ฿140

42.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.88

$18.42 ฿606

-69.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.97

$1.87 ฿61.5

-39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 €2.22

$2.92 ฿96.1

-11.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.22 ฿73.0

-12.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 €23.92

$22.90 ฿753

21.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 €2.95

$3.03 ฿99.6

13.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.07 ฿35.32

1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.74 €15.25

$3.93 ฿129

351.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.49 ฿49.06

39.60%

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

$35.1K €30.2K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

29.39%

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

$39.4K €33.9K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

43.55%

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

$112 €96.5

$103 ฿3,380

9.23%

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

$38.80 €33.36

$10.99 ฿361

253.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 €43.32

$17.51 ฿576

187.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.86 €42.86

$53.5 ฿1,760

-6.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.42 €19.27

$11.20 ฿368

100.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.95 €6.83

$7.48 ฿246

6.28%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,580 €3,938

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-61.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 €45.38

$64.1 ฿2,107

-17.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.16 €20.77

$29.07 ฿956

-16.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$47.45 €40.79

$96.0 ฿3,155

-50.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.7 €60.8

$90.3 ฿2,970

-21.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 €852

$730 ฿24.0K

35.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 €634

$500 ฿16.4K

47.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 €1,537

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-14.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 €1,075

$1,209 ฿39.8K

3.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,328 €3,721

$3,596 ฿118.2K

20.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,403 €2,926

$2,512 ฿82.6K

35.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,018 €875

$503 ฿16.6K

102.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.58

5.57

-17.77%

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

Last update for Portimao: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $991 in Portimao and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portimao pays 102% 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: $70.0 in Portimao vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $247 vs $273, with Portimao cheaper for home cooking.

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

Portimao vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 102% higher in Portimao, 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: $991 in Portimao versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $70.0 in Portimao. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Phuket runs roughly 21% less than in Portimao. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,600 in Portimao, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Portimao. 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 Portimao, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Portimao and Phuket 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 28% less than in Portimao. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.