Cost of Living Comparison Between Quarteira and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Quarteira and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,768 in Quarteira versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,514 in Quarteira versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,259 in Quarteira versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Quarteira is roughly 40% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quarteira is 32% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 €14.71

$4.70 ฿153

263.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 €50.2

$45.37 ฿1,482

28.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.24 €8.82

$8.43 ฿275

21.47%

Cappuccino

$1.99 €1.72

$2.93 ฿95.6

-32.08%

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

$1.80 €1.55

$0.69 ฿22.40

160.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.00

$0.37 ฿11.99

216.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 €2.03

$2.41 ฿78.6

-2.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 €2.47

$3.72 ฿122

-22.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.23 ฿72.9

-50.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.83 ฿59.8

-31.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.17 ฿70.8

-24.42%

Eggs

$2.80 €2.41

$2.21 ฿72.3

26.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 €8.06

$19.74 ฿645

-52.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.29 €5.42

$3.63 ฿119

73.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 €11.87

$13.53 ฿442

1.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.55 €2.19

$3.28 ฿107

-22.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.61 ฿52.6

-13.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.41 ฿78.6

-39.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.08 ฿68.1

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.53 ฿49.93

38.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$1.48 ฿48.36

49.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.88

$0.99 ฿32.29

3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.61

$0.51 ฿16.67

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.64

$4.41 ฿144

48.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.34 €4.60

$19.38 ฿633

-72.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.78 ฿58.1

-32.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 €2.22

$2.71 ฿88.6

-5.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.00

$1.37 ฿44.79

70.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.99 €36.15

$11.39 ฿372

268.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 €3.22

$3.02 ฿98.6

24.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.91

$0.99 ฿32.48

6.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.43 €15.01

$14.10 ฿461

23.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.36 ฿44.51

44.12%

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

$34.2K €29.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

21.25%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

19.31%

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

$148 €127

$122 ฿3,975

21.54%

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

$19.97 €17.19

$13.57 ฿443

47.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.97 €37.85

$18.31 ฿598

140.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.31 €37.28

$60.2 ฿1,967

-28.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

Cinema Ticket

$8.48 €7.30

$8.69 ฿284

-2.42%

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

$476 €410

$693 ฿22.6K

-31.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K €10.7K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-21.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.4 €63.2

$59.5 ฿1,944

23.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.52 €39.18

$34.77 ฿1,136

30.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €91.4

$115 ฿3,743

-7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.6

$83.3 ฿2,720

30.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 €782

$613 ฿20.0K

48.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$825 €710

$437 ฿14.3K

88.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 €1,292

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-28.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 €1,074

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-17.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,579 €3,081

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-4.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,265 €1,950

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-13.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,379 €1,188

$508 ฿16.6K

171.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.24

5.33

-1.69%

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

Last update for Quarteira: May 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Quarteira and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quarteira pays 171% 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: $58.0 in Quarteira vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $293, with Quarteira 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

Quarteira vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Quarteira pays 171% 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: $908 in Quarteira versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $476 in Quarteira versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Quarteira pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,768 in Quarteira, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Quarteira. 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 Quarteira, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Quarteira 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 40% less than in Quarteira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.