Cost of Living Comparison Between Sintra and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Sintra and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,654 in Sintra versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,419 in Sintra versus $2,255 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,185 in Sintra versus $3,279 in Phuket.

Living in Sintra is roughly 34% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sintra is 23% above, Phuket is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 €15.12

$4.63 ฿151

281.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.16 €42.08

$46.84 ฿1,532

4.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 €8.93

$8.84 ฿289

17.99%

Cappuccino

$1.60 €1.37

$3.00 ฿98.0

-46.67%

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

$1.71 €1.46

$0.74 ฿24.25

131.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

$0.37 ฿11.95

218.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 €2.03

$2.44 ฿79.8

-2.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.65

$3.61 ฿118

-14.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 €0.91

$2.26 ฿73.9

-52.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.84 ฿60.1

-34.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 €1.33

$2.24 ฿73.4

-30.80%

Eggs

$2.94 €2.51

$2.32 ฿75.7

26.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 €7.98

$19.67 ฿643

-52.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 €6.62

$3.65 ฿119

111.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.12 €11.23

$13.10 ฿428

0.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 €1.68

$3.39 ฿111

-42.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.64 ฿53.7

-17.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$2.41 ฿79.0

-24.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.03 ฿66.4

11.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.56 ฿50.9

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 €1.57

$1.50 ฿48.94

22.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.02 ฿33.50

30.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.59

$0.49 ฿16.00

40.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 €5.07

$4.45 ฿145

33.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.47 €2.97

$18.88 ฿617

-81.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.78 ฿58.1

-26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.51

$2.75 ฿90.1

-35.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.40 ฿45.81

60.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.56 €36.43

$11.48 ฿376

270.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 €3.28

$3.12 ฿102

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.00 ฿32.67

-21.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.39 €14.89

$14.09 ฿461

23.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.35 ฿44.19

48.15%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$27.2K ฿888.9K

29.41%

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

$39.1K €33.5K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

18.88%

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

$143 €122

$125 ฿4,087

14.39%

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

$22.41 €19.18

$13.57 ฿444

65.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.35 €37.11

$18.52 ฿606

134.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.56 €37.29

$61.5 ฿2,010

-29.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$8.92 €7.63

$9.19 ฿300

-2.94%

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

$425 €364

$698 ฿22.8K

-39.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,744 €4,917

$15.6K ฿509.9K

-63.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.6 €84.4

$57.8 ฿1,889

70.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.89 €39.28

$35.24 ฿1,152

30.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €97.4

$113 ฿3,699

0.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.6 €61.3

$86.4 ฿2,825

-17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 €798

$616 ฿20.1K

51.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 €634

$446 ฿14.6K

66.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 €1,275

$2,048 ฿67.0K

-27.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 €971

$1,492 ฿48.8K

-23.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,049 €2,610

$3,779 ฿123.6K

-19.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,354 €2,015

$2,649 ฿86.6K

-11.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,412 €1,209

$524 ฿17.1K

169.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.39

5.33

-17.64%

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

Last update for Sintra: April 27, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in Sintra and $616 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sintra pays 170% 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 Sintra vs $47.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $224 vs $292, with Sintra 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

Sintra vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sintra pays 170% more on average, 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: $932 in Sintra versus $616 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Sintra versus $698 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sintra pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,654 in Sintra, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sintra. 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 Sintra, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sintra 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 34% less than in Sintra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.