Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilamoura and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Vilamoura and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,629 in Vilamoura versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,410 in Vilamoura versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,191 in Vilamoura versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Vilamoura is roughly 29% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vilamoura is 22% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.42 €15.00

$4.70 ฿153

270.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 €50.0

$45.37 ฿1,482

28.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 €9.08

$8.43 ฿275

25.15%

Cappuccino

$2.00 €1.72

$2.93 ฿95.6

-31.74%

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

$2.40 €2.06

$0.69 ฿22.40

247.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

$0.37 ฿11.99

218.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.41 ฿78.6

-2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.43

$3.72 ฿122

-24.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.01

$2.23 ฿72.9

-47.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.83 ฿59.8

-32.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$2.17 ฿70.8

-24.42%

Eggs

$3.06 €2.63

$2.21 ฿72.3

38.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 €8.03

$19.74 ฿645

-52.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 €5.52

$3.63 ฿119

76.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.73 €11.82

$13.53 ฿442

1.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$3.28 ฿107

-22.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.61 ฿52.6

-16.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 €1.28

$2.41 ฿78.6

-38.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.08 ฿68.1

8.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.53 ฿49.93

37.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.48 ฿48.36

47.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 €0.88

$0.99 ฿32.29

3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 €0.56

$0.51 ฿16.67

29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 €5.46

$4.41 ฿144

43.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 €5.10

$19.38 ฿633

-69.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.78 ฿58.1

-26.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.71 ฿88.6

11.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.37 ฿44.79

64.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.21 €36.34

$11.39 ฿372

270.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 €3.27

$3.02 ฿98.6

25.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.99 ฿32.48

-20.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.32 €14.91

$14.10 ฿461

22.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.36 ฿44.51

40.44%

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

$34.2K €29.4K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

21.27%

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

$39.4K €33.9K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

19.77%

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

$138 €119

$122 ฿3,975

13.71%

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

$20.02 €17.24

$13.57 ฿443

47.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.45 €37.41

$18.31 ฿598

137.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.38 €29.60

$60.2 ฿1,967

-42.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.73 €10.10

$17.14 ฿560

-31.56%

Cinema Ticket

$8.78 €7.56

$8.69 ฿284

1.04%

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

$459 €395

$693 ฿22.6K

-33.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,360 €8,058

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-40.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 €64.3

$59.5 ฿1,944

25.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.18 €38.89

$34.77 ฿1,136

29.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 €78.9

$115 ฿3,743

-20.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €90.8

$83.3 ฿2,720

26.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 €789

$613 ฿20.0K

49.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 €633

$437 ฿14.3K

68.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,516 €2,166

$2,094 ฿68.4K

20.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 €986

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-24.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,217 €2,769

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-14.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 €2,026

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-10.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,084 €934

$508 ฿16.6K

113.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.24

5.33

-1.69%

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

Last update for Vilamoura: June 2, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $916 in Vilamoura and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilamoura pays 113% 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: $58.0 in Vilamoura vs $45.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $293, with Vilamoura 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

Vilamoura vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Vilamoura pays 113% 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: $916 in Vilamoura versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $459 in Vilamoura versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Vilamoura pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,629 in Vilamoura, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Vilamoura. 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 Vilamoura, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Vilamoura 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 29% less than in Vilamoura. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.