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: $1,829 in Quarteira versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Quarteira versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,384 in Quarteira versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Quarteira is roughly 46% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quarteira is 33% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.69 €12.63

$4.56 ฿150

222.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.5 €52.0

$32.62 ฿1,073

85.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €9.96

$8.90 ฿293

30.11%

Cappuccino

$1.97 €1.69

$2.80 ฿92.2

-29.64%

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

$2.48 €2.13

$0.88 ฿28.94

181.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.49 ฿16.08

255.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 €2.55

$2.39 ฿78.5

24.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.71 ฿122

-28.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.79 ฿58.8

-38.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.44 ฿47.40

9.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.58 ฿52.1

-1.90%

Eggs

$3.58 €3.08

$2.13 ฿69.9

68.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.38 €11.50

$19.92 ฿655

-32.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 €5.49

$3.43 ฿113

86.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 €9.66

$11.33 ฿372

-0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.95 ฿97.0

-22.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.72 ฿56.6

-13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.32 ฿76.5

-16.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.65 €2.27

$2.08 ฿68.4

27.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.47 ฿48.34

26.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.76

$1.36 ฿44.65

50.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.27

$1.10 ฿36.13

34.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.70

$0.57 ฿18.89

42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.62

$4.27 ฿140

53.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.20 €4.47

$18.42 ฿606

-71.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.85

$1.87 ฿61.5

-47.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.87

$2.92 ฿96.1

-25.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.62 €4.83

$2.22 ฿73.0

153.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.27

$3.03 ฿99.6

25.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.94

$1.07 ฿35.32

1.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$3.93 ฿129

349.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.49 ฿49.06

43.62%

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

$35.4K €30.5K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

30.66%

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

$40.1K €34.5K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

46.03%

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

$171 €147

$103 ฿3,380

66.23%

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

$20.06 €17.25

$10.99 ฿361

82.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.66 €34.09

$17.51 ฿576

126.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.4 €79.4

$53.5 ฿1,760

72.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 €8.68

$7.48 ฿246

34.89%

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

$480 €412

$557 ฿18.3K

-13.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K €9,981

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-2.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 €64.5

$64.1 ฿2,107

17.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.16 €38.83

$29.07 ฿956

55.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €91.7

$96.0 ฿3,155

11.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$90.3 ฿2,970

32.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$875 €752

$730 ฿24.0K

19.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 €714

$500 ฿16.4K

66.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,516 €1,303

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-27.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,079

$1,209 ฿39.8K

3.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,377 €1,184

$503 ฿16.6K

173.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

5.57

-35.91%

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

Last update for Quarteira: August 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $875 in Quarteira and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quarteira pays 174% 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: $61.0 in Quarteira vs $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $239 vs $273, 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 174% higher in Quarteira, 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: $875 in Quarteira versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $480 in Quarteira versus $557 in Phuket. 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 $33.00 versus $61.0 in Quarteira. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,829 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 46% less than in Quarteira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.