Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Branco and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio Branco and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $740 in Rio Branco versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,150 in Rio Branco versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,561 in Rio Branco versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Rio Branco costs roughly 42% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio Branco 45% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 R$27.30

$4.66 ฿150

17.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.32 R$116

$46.44 ฿1,496

-49.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 R$39.20

$8.68 ฿280

-9.10%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.15

$2.95 ฿95.0

-24.07%

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

$1.23 R$6.10

$0.70 ฿22.52

75.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.19

$0.39 ฿12.70

64.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 R$9.07

$2.53 ฿81.6

-28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 R$7.07

$3.78 ฿122

-62.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R$6.84

$2.22 ฿71.5

-37.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 R$7.53

$1.80 ฿57.8

-15.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.85

$2.19 ฿70.4

-46.12%

Eggs

$1.97 R$9.81

$2.31 ฿74.5

-14.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 R$40.55

$19.34 ฿623

-57.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 R$20.06

$3.77 ฿121

7.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.45 R$32.03

$13.22 ฿426

-51.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 R$10.19

$3.33 ฿107

-38.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.48

$1.65 ฿53.1

-21.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 R$5.91

$2.29 ฿73.7

-48.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.23

$1.99 ฿64.1

-26.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R$5.93

$1.53 ฿49.24

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.25

$1.51 ฿48.77

-29.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.42

$1.03 ฿33.12

-33.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$0.51 ฿16.57

29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.14 R$10.64

$4.41 ฿142

-51.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 R$39.29

$19.41 ฿625

-59.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.03

$1.80 ฿58.0

-32.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 R$9.79

$2.68 ฿86.4

-26.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 R$3.27

$1.43 ฿46.11

-53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.78 R$193

$11.70 ฿377

231.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.52

$3.04 ฿97.9

-63.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R$3.70

$1.04 ฿33.37

-27.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 R$31.58

$13.68 ฿441

-53.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.57

$1.30 ฿41.85

-13.85%

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

$20.6K R$102.6K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-25.99%

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

$27.7K R$137.6K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-16.17%

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

$60.1 R$299

$123 ฿3,962

-51.11%

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

$13.27 R$66.0

$13.82 ฿445

-3.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.13 R$90.1

$18.86 ฿608

-3.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.85 R$88.7

$61.2 ฿1,970

-70.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.50 R$107

$16.81 ฿541

27.90%

Cinema Ticket

$3.67 R$18.25

$8.87 ฿286

-58.62%

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

$142 R$705

$696 ฿22.4K

-79.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,433 R$32.0K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-59.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.14 R$239

$59.3 ฿1,910

-18.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 R$211

$34.85 ฿1,123

21.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$382

$113 ฿3,646

-32.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.3 R$314

$85.1 ฿2,740

-25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$315 R$1,567

$615 ฿19.8K

-48.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 R$887

$448 ฿14.4K

-60.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 R$2,478

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-76.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$304 R$1,509

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-79.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,313 R$6,528

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-64.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,666 R$8,278

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-37.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$260 R$1,292

$534 ฿17.2K

-51.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

5.33

104.88%

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

Last update for Rio Branco: April 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $315 in Rio Branco and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 105% 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: $23 in Rio Branco vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $178 vs $291 per month, with Rio Branco 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

Rio Branco vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio Branco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 105% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $315 in Rio Branco versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $142 in Rio Branco versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $740 in Rio Branco versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rio Branco but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rio Branco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio Branco 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, Rio Branco 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 Rio Branco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.