Cost of Living Comparison Between Caraguatatuba and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Caraguatatuba and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $737 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,204 in Caraguatatuba versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,672 in Caraguatatuba versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Caraguatatuba costs roughly 42% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Caraguatatuba 45% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.90 R$34.55

$4.70 ฿153

46.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.11 R$131

$45.37 ฿1,482

-42.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 R$33.12

$8.43 ฿275

-21.47%

Cappuccino

$1.75 R$8.75

$2.93 ฿95.6

-40.27%

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

$1.06 R$5.29

$0.69 ฿22.40

53.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$3.81

$0.37 ฿11.99

105.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 R$9.19

$2.41 ฿78.6

-23.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 R$13.89

$3.72 ฿122

-25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R$4.41

$2.23 ฿72.9

-60.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 R$7.34

$1.83 ฿59.8

-19.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 R$5.95

$2.17 ฿70.8

-45.16%

Eggs

$1.69 R$8.45

$2.21 ฿72.3

-23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.47 R$27.39

$19.74 ฿645

-72.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 R$14.89

$3.63 ฿119

-17.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 R$35.43

$13.53 ฿442

-47.67%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.21

$3.28 ฿107

-43.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.33

$1.61 ฿52.6

3.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.81

$2.41 ฿78.6

-43.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.61

$2.08 ฿68.1

-17.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.77

$1.53 ฿49.93

-24.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.69 R$3.44

$1.48 ฿48.36

-53.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.31

$0.99 ฿32.29

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.37

$0.51 ฿16.67

31.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.78 R$8.92

$4.41 ฿144

-59.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 R$35.49

$19.38 ฿633

-63.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.88

$1.78 ฿58.1

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.41

$2.71 ฿88.6

-23.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.64

$1.37 ฿44.79

-32.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.52 R$103

$11.39 ฿372

80.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.31

$3.02 ฿98.6

-64.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 R$3.08

$0.99 ฿32.48

-37.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 R$16.29

$14.10 ฿461

-76.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.33

$1.36 ฿44.51

-22.06%

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

$13.9K R$69.6K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-50.68%

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

$27.1K R$135.7K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-17.56%

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

$51.7 R$259

$122 ฿3,975

-57.53%

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

$11.52 R$57.6

$13.57 ฿443

-15.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.75 R$104

$18.31 ฿598

13.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.48 R$97.5

$60.2 ฿1,967

-67.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.15 R$70.8

$17.14 ฿560

-17.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.33 R$36.70

$8.69 ฿284

-15.65%

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

$198 R$991

$693 ฿22.6K

-71.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,829 R$19.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-75.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 R$258

$59.5 ฿1,944

-13.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 R$281

$34.77 ฿1,136

61.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.4 R$357

$115 ฿3,743

-37.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 R$263

$83.3 ฿2,720

-36.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 R$1,857

$613 ฿20.0K

-39.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$207 R$1,037

$437 ฿14.3K

-52.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$770 R$3,853

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-63.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 R$2,383

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-68.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,575 R$7,880

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-58.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,153 R$5,770

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-55.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$330 R$1,654

$508 ฿16.6K

-34.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.15

5.33

52.91%

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

Last update for Caraguatatuba: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $371 in Caraguatatuba and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 54% 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: $26.00 in Caraguatatuba vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $162 vs $293 per month, with Caraguatatuba 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

Caraguatatuba vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caraguatatuba is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 54% 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: $371 in Caraguatatuba versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $737 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Caraguatatuba 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, Caraguatatuba 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 Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.