Cost of Living Comparison Between Teresina and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Teresina and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $619 in Teresina versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,034 in Teresina versus $2,286 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,449 in Teresina versus $3,310 in Phuket.

Living in Teresina costs roughly 51% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Teresina 54% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.31 R$26.86

$4.56 ฿149

16.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.74 R$135

$46.63 ฿1,519

-42.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.17 R$31.24

$8.47 ฿276

-27.15%

Cappuccino

$1.80 R$9.13

$3.03 ฿98.6

-40.59%

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

$1.12 R$5.65

$0.69 ฿22.45

62.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$0.37 ฿11.92

67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$8.90

$2.49 ฿81.0

-29.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 R$13.42

$3.66 ฿119

-27.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.02

$2.18 ฿71.0

-45.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 R$10.91

$1.90 ฿62.0

13.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.02

$2.20 ฿71.6

-45.91%

Eggs

$3.51 R$17.79

$2.22 ฿72.4

58.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.45 R$42.76

$19.99 ฿651

-57.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.56 R$18.01

$3.66 ฿119

-2.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.19 R$36.42

$13.25 ฿432

-45.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.01

$3.23 ฿105

-51.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.40

$1.70 ฿55.3

-25.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.81

$2.39 ฿78.0

-51.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.30

$2.08 ฿67.7

-30.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.75

$1.59 ฿51.8

-28.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.32

$1.48 ฿48.31

-29.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 R$3.70

$1.03 ฿33.54

-29.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.11

$0.52 ฿16.83

17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 R$10.70

$4.25 ฿138

-50.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.36 R$47.39

$18.79 ฿612

-50.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R$6.40

$1.76 ฿57.2

-28.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 R$10.01

$2.76 ฿89.8

-28.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 R$3.58

$1.36 ฿44.32

-47.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.15 R$193

$11.36 ฿370

235.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.57

$3.14 ฿102

-64.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R$4.84

$1.04 ฿33.74

-7.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.33 R$32.04

$13.77 ฿448

-54.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.34

$1.34 ฿43.79

-20.90%

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

$20.4K R$103.1K

$27.7K ฿901.4K

-26.40%

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

$28.1K R$142.1K

$33.9K ฿1.1M

-17.12%

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

$60.4 R$306

$124 ฿4,025

-51.14%

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

$13.59 R$68.8

$13.52 ฿440

0.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.15 R$81.8

$18.69 ฿609

-13.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.53 R$93.8

$61.8 ฿2,013

-70.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.92 R$111

$17.25 ฿562

27.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 R$42.21

$9.14 ฿298

-8.75%

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

$274 R$1,386

$703 ฿22.9K

-61.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,522 R$33.0K

$15.9K ฿517.0K

-58.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.89 R$136

$59.5 ฿1,937

-54.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.52 R$104

$35.07 ฿1,142

-41.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.5 R$271

$115 ฿3,754

-53.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.50 R$215

$84.1 ฿2,737

-49.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$135 R$685

$619 ฿20.1K

-78.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 R$509

$433 ฿14.1K

-76.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 R$1,666

$2,062 ฿67.2K

-84.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 R$1,253

$1,511 ฿49.2K

-83.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,345 R$6,810

$3,646 ฿118.7K

-63.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$764 R$3,867

$2,626 ฿85.5K

-70.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$411 R$2,080

$507 ฿16.5K

-18.98%

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 Teresina: June 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $135 in Teresina and $619 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 23% 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: $27.00 in Teresina vs $47.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $189 vs $293 per month, with Teresina 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

Teresina vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Teresina is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 23% 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: $135 in Teresina versus $619 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Teresina versus $703 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $619 in Teresina versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Teresina but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Teresina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Teresina 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, Teresina 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 Teresina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.