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: $1,694 in Vilamoura versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,477 in Vilamoura versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Vilamoura versus $2,913 in Phuket.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 €11.85

$4.66 ฿154

195.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.4 €50.3

$32.22 ฿1,065

81.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.70 €10.08

$8.68 ฿287

34.79%

Cappuccino

$1.98 €1.71

$2.90 ฿95.8

-31.72%

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

$2.46 €2.12

$0.84 ฿27.89

192.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.49 ฿16.16

257.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 €2.58

$2.48 ฿82.0

20.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 €2.30

$3.73 ฿123

-28.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.89 ฿62.3

-37.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.41 ฿46.54

10.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.62 ฿53.6

-6.79%

Eggs

$3.53 €3.05

$2.24 ฿74.1

57.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 €11.40

$19.84 ฿656

-33.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.20 €5.35

$3.48 ฿115

78.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.14 €9.60

$11.37 ฿376

-2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.03

$2.90 ฿95.8

-18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.72 ฿57.0

-23.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 €1.40

$2.27 ฿75.1

-28.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.20

$2.13 ฿70.4

19.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.47 ฿48.72

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.42 ฿46.92

48.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.26

$1.10 ฿36.25

32.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.60 ฿19.76

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.72 €5.79

$4.31 ฿142

55.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$18.60 ฿615

-69.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.80 ฿59.5

-26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.09

$2.97 ฿98.0

20.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.96

$2.25 ฿74.2

1.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.39 €36.54

$23.49 ฿776

80.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 €3.21

$3.10 ฿102

20.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.08 ฿35.56

5.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.32 €14.93

$3.87 ฿128

347.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.43 ฿47.16

51.05%

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

$35.1K €30.3K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

26.38%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

44.65%

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

$137 €118

$105 ฿3,462

30.73%

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

$19.20 €16.55

$11.39 ฿376

68.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.57 €29.80

$17.54 ฿580

97.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.78 €29.98

$54.3 ฿1,795

-36.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.52 €9.93

$11.44 ฿378

0.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.01 €8.63

$7.78 ฿257

28.66%

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

$474 €409

$576 ฿19.0K

-17.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,744

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-2.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.8 €63.6

$63.6 ฿2,103

15.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.53 €39.25

$29.10 ฿961

56.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

$96.2 ฿3,179

8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €91.4

$90.0 ฿2,974

17.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 €854

$733 ฿24.2K

35.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 €702

$501 ฿16.5K

62.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,535 €2,185

$2,126 ฿70.2K

19.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,050

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-2.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,178 €2,740

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-10.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 €1,967

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-12.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,093 €942

$508 ฿16.8K

115.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

5.57

-35.91%

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

Last update for Vilamoura: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $990 in Vilamoura and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilamoura pays 115% 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 $32.00 in Phuket. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $275, 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, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 115% higher in Vilamoura, 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: $990 in Vilamoura versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $474 in Vilamoura versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Vilamoura pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,694 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 34% less than in Vilamoura. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.