Cost of Living Comparison Between Aracaju and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Aracaju and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $723 in Aracaju versus $1,232 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,116 in Aracaju versus $2,054 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,509 in Aracaju versus $2,876 in Phuket.

Living in Aracaju costs roughly 41% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aracaju 47% lower, Phuket 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.73 R$24.31

$4.41 ฿147

7.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.49 R$121

$32.26 ฿1,074

-27.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.01 R$30.89

$8.93 ฿297

-32.70%

Cappuccino

$1.76 R$9.06

$2.90 ฿96.4

-39.31%

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

$1.13 R$5.82

$0.88 ฿29.30

28.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 R$3.04

$0.48 ฿16.01

22.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 R$10.10

$2.35 ฿78.3

-16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$14.08

$3.72 ฿124

-26.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.26

$1.87 ฿62.1

-45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 R$7.68

$1.47 ฿48.81

1.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.15

$1.55 ฿51.7

-22.58%

Eggs

$1.68 R$8.65

$2.10 ฿70.0

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 R$38.62

$19.59 ฿652

-61.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 R$18.79

$3.42 ฿114

6.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.97 R$35.82

$11.38 ฿379

-38.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 R$10.48

$2.98 ฿99.3

-31.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.36

$1.68 ฿56.1

-26.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.65 R$3.34

$2.21 ฿73.5

-70.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.34

$2.16 ฿72.0

-51.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.05

$1.52 ฿50.8

-35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.81

$1.34 ฿44.55

-30.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 R$2.80

$1.13 ฿37.57

-52.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.52

$0.55 ฿18.19

25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 R$11.84

$4.26 ฿142

-46.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 R$30.26

$19.09 ฿635

-69.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R$6.46

$1.78 ฿59.2

-29.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R$10.53

$2.78 ฿92.6

-26.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.65

$2.23 ฿74.2

-59.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.89 R$215

$22.74 ฿757

84.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 R$8.09

$3.03 ฿101

-48.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 R$6.08

$1.02 ฿34.06

15.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.71 R$34.49

$3.89 ฿130

72.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.59

$1.49 ฿49.63

-14.09%

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

$23.6K R$121.2K

$26.6K ฿884.9K

-11.33%

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

$32.8K R$168.9K

$27.0K ฿899.8K

21.53%

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

$93.7 R$482

$102 ฿3,411

-8.60%

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

$9.65 R$49.63

$11.33 ฿377

-14.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.63 R$85.5

$17.40 ฿579

-4.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.73 R$112

$52.1 ฿1,734

-58.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.42 R$136

$11.07 ฿369

138.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.37 R$32.76

$7.69 ฿256

-17.17%

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

$176 R$907

$561 ฿18.7K

-68.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,177 R$26.6K

$11.5K ฿383.0K

-55.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 R$286

$63.0 ฿2,098

-11.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.97 R$175

$29.52 ฿983

15.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 R$434

$98.0 ฿3,263

-13.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 R$418

$88.5 ฿2,946

-8.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$295 R$1,516

$738 ฿24.6K

-60.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 R$712

$482 ฿16.1K

-71.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 R$3,158

$2,107 ฿70.1K

-70.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 R$1,401

$1,226 ฿40.8K

-77.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,254 R$6,447

$3,617 ฿120.4K

-65.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$875 R$4,499

$2,603 ฿86.7K

-66.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$450 R$2,312

$494 ฿16.4K

-8.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

79.53%

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

Last update for Aracaju: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $295 in Aracaju and $738 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 10% 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: $23.00 in Aracaju vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $161 vs $274 per month, with Aracaju 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

Aracaju vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aracaju and Phuket differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($723 vs $1,232 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Phuket. 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: $295 in Aracaju versus $738 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $176 in Aracaju versus $561 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Aracaju versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Aracaju 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 Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.