Cost of Living Comparison Between Setubal and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Setubal and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,698 in Setubal versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,439 in Setubal versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,181 in Setubal versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Setubal is roughly 38% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Setubal is 24% above, Phuket is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 €11.73

$4.41 ฿147

204.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.14 €42.83

$32.26 ฿1,077

52.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 €8.20

$8.93 ฿298

5.26%

Cappuccino

$1.97 €1.72

$2.90 ฿96.6

-32.07%

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

$2.05 €1.79

$0.88 ฿29.38

132.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.48 ฿16.06

139.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 €2.06

$2.35 ฿78.5

0.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.96

$3.72 ฿124

-8.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 €0.91

$1.87 ฿62.3

-44.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.39

$1.47 ฿48.94

8.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.55 ฿51.8

12.26%

Eggs

$3.51 €3.06

$2.10 ฿70.1

67.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.18 €10.62

$19.59 ฿654

-37.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 €6.74

$3.42 ฿114

126.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.15 €13.21

$11.38 ฿380

33.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 €2.16

$2.98 ฿99.6

-16.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 €1.26

$1.68 ฿56.2

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.62

$2.21 ฿73.7

-15.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 €2.53

$2.16 ฿72.1

34.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.52 ฿50.9

11.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.84

$1.34 ฿44.67

57.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.13 ฿37.67

40.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 €0.64

$0.55 ฿18.24

32.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.95 €5.18

$4.26 ฿142

39.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.74 €4.13

$19.09 ฿637

-75.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.78

$1.78 ฿59.4

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 €1.91

$2.78 ฿92.9

-21.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.35 €3.79

$2.23 ฿74.4

95.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.69 €39.83

$22.74 ฿759

100.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 €3.29

$3.03 ฿101

24.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.02 ฿34.15

39.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.57 €12.70

$3.89 ฿130

274.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.49 ฿49.77

42.28%

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

$34.8K €30.3K

$26.6K ฿887.3K

30.75%

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

$38.7K €33.8K

$27.0K ฿902.2K

43.31%

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

$103 €90.0

$102 ฿3,420

0.69%

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

$21.73 €18.94

$11.33 ฿378

91.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.88 €29.54

$17.40 ฿581

94.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.49 €28.32

$52.1 ฿1,738

-37.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.19 €14.12

$11.07 ฿370

46.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 €6.89

$7.69 ฿257

2.73%

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

$606 €528

$561 ฿18.7K

8.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.2K €9,742

$11.5K ฿384.1K

-2.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 €60.8

$63.0 ฿2,104

10.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.25 €33.34

$29.52 ฿986

29.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.3 €63.0

$98.0 ฿3,272

-26.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 €83.9

$88.5 ฿2,954

8.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 €894

$738 ฿24.6K

38.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 €740

$482 ฿16.1K

75.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 €1,477

$2,107 ฿70.3K

-19.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,044

$1,226 ฿40.9K

-2.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,299 €3,747

$3,617 ฿120.7K

18.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,433 €2,121

$2,603 ฿86.9K

-6.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,329 €1,158

$494 ฿16.5K

169.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.57

-30.88%

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

Last update for Setubal: September 13, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Setubal and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Setubal pays 169% 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: $49.00 in Setubal vs $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $274, with Setubal 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

Setubal vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 169% higher in Setubal, 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: $1,025 in Setubal versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $606 in Setubal versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Setubal pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,698 in Setubal, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Setubal. 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 Setubal, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Setubal 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 38% less than in Setubal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.