Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio das Ostras and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio das Ostras: $720 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Rio das Ostras
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Rio das Ostras Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Rio das Ostras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$720

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio das Ostras and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rio das Ostras and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $720 in Rio das Ostras versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Rio das Ostras $720
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,206 in Rio das Ostras versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Rio das Ostras $1,206
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,693 in Rio das Ostras versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Rio das Ostras $1,693
Phuket $2,845

Living in Rio das Ostras costs roughly 40% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio das Ostras 47% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.11 R$30.99

$4.40 ฿147

38.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.93 R$152

$32.26 ฿1,078

-7.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.91 R$35.02

$8.76 ฿293

-21.12%

Cappuccino

$1.77 R$8.99

$2.83 ฿94.5

-37.46%

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

$1.33 R$6.73

$0.90 ฿30.14

47.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$0.47 ฿15.56

31.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 R$6.16

$2.55 ฿85.2

-52.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 R$15.37

$3.83 ฿128

-20.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.73 ฿57.7

-45.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 R$7.91

$1.47 ฿49.11

6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.34

$1.51 ฿50.6

-17.22%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.88

$2.17 ฿72.7

-10.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 R$40.76

$19.70 ฿658

-59.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.49 R$17.68

$3.34 ฿112

4.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.56 R$43.40

$11.16 ฿373

-23.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 R$9.87

$2.85 ฿95.1

-31.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.14

$1.70 ฿56.9

-28.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.74

$2.19 ฿73.3

-57.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.45

$2.05 ฿68.4

-38.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.71 R$3.59

$1.45 ฿48.57

-51.03%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 R$4.09

$1.38 ฿46.16

-41.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 R$2.91

$1.07 ฿35.69

-46.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.67

$0.51 ฿16.91

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.27 R$11.53

$4.26 ฿142

-46.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 R$46.51

$18.58 ฿621

-50.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 R$10.69

$1.78 ฿59.7

18.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 R$7.28

$2.85 ฿95.2

-49.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 R$5.18

$2.26 ฿75.6

-54.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.98 R$223

$22.10 ฿738

99.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 R$6.95

$3.01 ฿101

-54.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.87

$1.06 ฿35.34

-28.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 R$40.63

$3.86 ฿129

107.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$5.93

$1.45 ฿48.45

-19.31%

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

$21.1K R$106.8K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-19.95%

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

$31.3K R$158.8K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

16.29%

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

$69.9 R$354

$96.4 ฿3,221

-27.50%

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

$10.00 R$50.7

$11.04 ฿369

-9.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.83 R$95.5

$17.14 ฿573

9.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.61 R$120

$52.2 ฿1,744

-54.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.53 R$140

$11.16 ฿373

146.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 R$34.23

$7.81 ฿261

-13.57%

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

$327 R$1,658

$556 ฿18.6K

-41.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,611 R$38.6K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-34.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 R$287

$64.2 ฿2,146

-11.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.31 R$144

$28.69 ฿959

-1.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 R$338

$95.4 ฿3,187

-30.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.51 R$246

$88.0 ฿2,940

-44.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 R$1,004

$737 ฿24.6K

-73.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$151 R$766

$462 ฿15.5K

-67.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,682

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-74.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 R$2,029

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-66.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,730 R$8,770

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-50.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 R$6,198

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-51.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 R$2,748

$501 ฿16.7K

8.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Rio das Ostras: October 17, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Rio das Ostras

$179 24.8%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 50.3% $90

Accommodation & Living

Rio das Ostras

$151 21%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 206% $311

Eating Out

Rio das Ostras

$111 15.4%

Phuket

$121 10% 9.4% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio das Ostras

$99 13.7%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 26.2% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Rio das Ostras

$90 12.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 38% $34

Getting Around

Rio das Ostras

$53 7.4%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 25.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Rio das Ostras

$37 5.2%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 82.7% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $198 in Rio das Ostras and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio das Ostras pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Rio das Ostras vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $269 per month, with Rio das Ostras cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio das Ostras

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

07:50 7:50 AM

17:50 5:50 PM

10 h ahead of Rio das Ostras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,491

79,308

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio das Ostras Phuket 15,480 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio das Ostras
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 das Ostras vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio das Ostras is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% higher in Rio das Ostras, 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: $198 in Rio das Ostras versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $327 in Rio das Ostras versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $720 in Rio das Ostras versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio das Ostras but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Rio das Ostras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio das Ostras 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 das Ostras 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 das Ostras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.