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: $1,748 in Quarteira versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Quarteira versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,307 in Quarteira versus $3,317 in Phuket.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Quarteira is 31% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.06

$4.55 ฿153

277.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.3 €51.0

$46.18 ฿1,553

26.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.44 €9.14

$8.84 ฿297

18.10%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.82

$3.06 ฿103

-32.03%

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

$1.75 €1.53

$0.73 ฿24.40

139.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.99

$0.40 ฿13.39

182.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 €2.07

$2.43 ฿81.8

-2.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.78 ฿127

-21.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.94

$2.26 ฿76.0

-52.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 €1.09

$1.81 ฿60.9

-31.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 €1.40

$2.25 ฿75.8

-28.89%

Eggs

$2.81 €2.46

$2.25 ฿75.5

24.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 €8.07

$19.51 ฿656

-52.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 €5.63

$3.65 ฿123

76.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.41 €11.74

$13.05 ฿439

2.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$3.23 ฿109

-21.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 €1.24

$1.62 ฿54.4

-12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 €1.25

$2.38 ฿80.1

-39.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 €2.03

$2.03 ฿68.1

13.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.53 ฿51.6

35.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.87

$1.50 ฿50.5

42.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 €0.88

$0.98 ฿32.91

3.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 €0.59

$0.52 ฿17.39

28.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 €5.50

$4.44 ฿149

41.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 €4.47

$18.32 ฿616

-72.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.86 ฿62.7

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.28

$2.68 ฿90.1

-2.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €2.00

$1.41 ฿47.46

61.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.48 €37.20

$11.70 ฿393

263.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.71 €3.25

$3.11 ฿105

19.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 €0.92

$1.04 ฿35.06

1.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.11 €14.99

$14.11 ฿474

21.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.31 ฿44.10

46.56%

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

$35.2K €30.9K

$27.8K ฿935.4K

26.72%

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

$39.7K €34.8K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

19.64%

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

$144 €126

$122 ฿4,118

17.62%

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

$20.07 €17.57

$13.59 ฿457

47.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.96 €37.63

$18.70 ฿629

129.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.78 €38.34

$60.5 ฿2,034

-27.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 €7.76

$9.07 ฿305

-2.32%

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

$466 €408

$706 ฿23.8K

-34.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K €10.8K

$15.8K ฿531.5K

-22.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 €63.8

$58.6 ฿1,969

24.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.37 €39.74

$35.36 ฿1,189

28.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 €94.6

$115 ฿3,883

-6.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €95.4

$83.7 ฿2,816

30.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 €802

$626 ฿21.0K

46.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 €727

$445 ฿15.0K

86.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 €1,288

$2,040 ฿68.6K

-27.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 €1,077

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-17.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,106 €2,720

$3,483 ฿117.1K

-10.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 €2,296

$2,577 ฿86.7K

1.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,389 €1,216

$500 ฿16.8K

177.79%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $915 in Quarteira and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quarteira pays 178% 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 $46.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $223 vs $289, 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.

Average pay runs 178% 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: $915 in Quarteira versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $466 in Quarteira versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Quarteira pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,748 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.