Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caraguatatuba and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Caraguatatuba: $843 a month against $1,207 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Caraguatatuba
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Caraguatatuba Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index

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Caraguatatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$843

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caraguatatuba and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Caraguatatuba and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $843 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Caraguatatuba $843
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,363 in Caraguatatuba versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Caraguatatuba $1,363
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,883 in Caraguatatuba versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Caraguatatuba $1,883
Phuket $2,867

Living in Caraguatatuba costs roughly 30% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Caraguatatuba 38% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 R$39.04

$4.58 ฿153

68.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.38 R$149

$32.48 ฿1,086

-9.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 R$46.80

$8.55 ฿286

7.95%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R$11.99

$2.72 ฿91.0

-12.87%

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

$1.23 R$6.25

$0.94 ฿31.25

30.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.48

$0.49 ฿16.39

79.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$11.96

$2.59 ฿86.6

-8.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 R$16.60

$3.83 ฿128

-14.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.09

$1.74 ฿58.1

-42.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.17

$1.43 ฿47.82

12.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.53 ฿51.0

-8.50%

Eggs

$1.96 R$9.96

$2.17 ฿72.7

-9.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 R$29.84

$19.15 ฿640

-69.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 R$16.82

$3.30 ฿110

0.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.98 R$40.47

$11.14 ฿372

-28.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$10.89

$2.95 ฿98.5

-27.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.46

$1.68 ฿56.1

-0.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.39

$2.30 ฿76.8

-36.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.19

$2.13 ฿71.3

-33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.45

$1.53 ฿51.1

-16.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 R$4.13

$1.36 ฿45.55

-39.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 R$3.60

$1.12 ฿37.44

-36.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$3.99

$0.55 ฿18.24

43.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 R$10.96

$4.26 ฿142

-49.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 R$35.46

$18.19 ฿608

-61.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R$7.58

$1.74 ฿58.2

-13.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R$13.11

$2.79 ฿93.3

-7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.96

$2.22 ฿74.1

-55.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.55 R$119

$22.06 ฿737

6.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 R$5.89

$2.91 ฿97.3

-60.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$3.70

$1.01 ฿33.79

-27.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 R$17.85

$3.83 ฿128

-8.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.59

$1.49 ฿49.85

-12.75%

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

$15.7K R$79.3K

$26.7K ฿891.6K

-41.34%

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

$29.5K R$149.6K

$26.7K ฿892.7K

10.48%

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

$66.3 R$336

$99.4 ฿3,321

-33.27%

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

$13.05 R$66.2

$11.28 ฿377

15.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.44 R$114

$17.36 ฿580

29.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.64 R$110

$52.3 ฿1,747

-58.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 R$82.6

$10.85 ฿362

50.14%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 R$41.40

$7.57 ฿253

7.93%

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

$223 R$1,130

$558 ฿18.7K

-60.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,271 R$21.7K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-62.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 R$293

$62.9 ฿2,102

-8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 R$287

$28.58 ฿955

97.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 R$397

$96.1 ฿3,213

-18.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 R$300

$88.1 ฿2,943

-32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 R$2,110

$729 ฿24.4K

-42.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,201

$460 ฿15.4K

-48.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 R$4,453

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-58.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 R$2,648

$1,222 ฿40.8K

-57.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,681 R$8,523

$3,459 ฿115.6K

-51.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,217 R$6,170

$2,489 ฿83.2K

-51.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 R$1,704

$493 ฿16.5K

-31.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.15

5.57

46.32%

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

Last update for Caraguatatuba: October 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Caraguatatuba

$237 28.1%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 94.1% $223

Groceries & Markets

Caraguatatuba

$176 20.9%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 52.1% $92

Eating Out

Caraguatatuba

$145 17.2%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 16% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Caraguatatuba

$113 13.5%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 9.4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caraguatatuba

$102 12.1%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 25.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Caraguatatuba

$38 4.5%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 77.6% $29

Getting Around

Caraguatatuba

$32 3.8%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 20.5% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Caraguatatuba and $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 47% 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: $29.00 in Caraguatatuba vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $268 per month, with Caraguatatuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Caraguatatuba

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

12:01 12:01 PM

10 h ahead of Caraguatatuba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,873

79,308

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Caraguatatuba Phuket 15,780 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Caraguatatuba
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, clothing, and leisure. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 47% 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: $416 in Caraguatatuba versus $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% 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 $29.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $843 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,207 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 43% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.