Cost of Living Comparison Between Caruaru and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Caruaru and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $577 in Caruaru versus $1,270 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $952 in Caruaru versus $2,304 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,326 in Caruaru versus $3,339 in Phuket.

Living in Caruaru costs roughly 55% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Caruaru 57% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.50 R$22.37

$4.66 ฿150

-3.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.38 R$136

$46.44 ฿1,496

-41.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 R$31.64

$8.68 ฿280

-26.61%

Cappuccino

$1.60 R$7.95

$2.95 ฿95.0

-45.76%

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

$0.92 R$4.58

$0.70 ฿22.52

31.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 R$1.72

$0.39 ฿12.70

-10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 R$5.25

$2.53 ฿81.6

-58.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 R$7.23

$3.78 ฿122

-61.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.74

$2.22 ฿71.5

-48.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 R$4.87

$1.80 ฿57.8

-45.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.61

$2.19 ฿70.4

-57.53%

Eggs

$2.48 R$12.31

$2.31 ฿74.5

7.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.57 R$17.75

$19.34 ฿623

-81.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.63 R$13.07

$3.77 ฿121

-30.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.21 R$30.85

$13.22 ฿426

-53.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.40

$3.33 ฿107

-61.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 R$4.23

$1.65 ฿53.1

-48.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.77 R$3.85

$2.29 ฿73.7

-66.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 R$4.91

$1.99 ฿64.1

-50.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 R$3.85

$1.53 ฿49.24

-49.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 R$4.36

$1.51 ฿48.77

-41.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 R$1.87

$1.03 ฿33.12

-63.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.81

$0.51 ฿16.57

11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 R$13.31

$4.41 ฿142

-39.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.94 R$14.63

$19.41 ฿625

-84.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 R$7.20

$1.80 ฿58.0

-19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 R$14.85

$2.68 ฿86.4

11.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 R$4.08

$1.43 ฿46.11

-42.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.56 R$122

$11.70 ฿377

109.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.06

$3.04 ฿97.9

-40.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 R$3.11

$1.04 ฿33.37

-39.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 R$13.38

$13.68 ฿441

-80.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 R$3.87

$1.30 ฿41.85

-40.00%

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

$19.2K R$95.6K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-31.02%

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

$28.4K R$141.1K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-14.08%

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

$51.7 R$257

$123 ฿3,962

-57.97%

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

$7.08 R$35.18

$13.82 ฿445

-48.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.95 R$44.50

$18.86 ฿608

-52.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.43 R$66.8

$61.2 ฿1,970

-78.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.26 R$135

$16.81 ฿541

62.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.37 R$31.65

$8.87 ฿286

-28.18%

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

$98.8 R$491

$696 ฿22.4K

-85.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,275 R$31.2K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-60.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.26 R$180

$59.3 ฿1,910

-38.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.22 R$225

$34.85 ฿1,123

29.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R$548

$113 ฿3,646

-2.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.5 R$291

$85.1 ฿2,740

-31.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$149 R$741

$615 ฿19.8K

-75.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$118 R$585

$448 ฿14.4K

-73.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,583

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-84.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 R$1,142

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-84.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,725 R$8,573

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-53.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,192 R$5,926

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-55.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$268 R$1,330

$534 ฿17.2K

-49.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

87.62%

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

Last update for Caruaru: April 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $149 in Caruaru and $615 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 99% 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: $27 in Caruaru vs $46 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $129 vs $291 per month, with Caruaru 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

Caruaru vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caruaru and Phuket differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($577 vs $1,270 including rent). Caruaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Phuket earns 99% 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: $149 in Caruaru versus $615 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $98.8 in Caruaru versus $696 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $577 in Caruaru versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Caruaru but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Caruaru 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, Caruaru 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 Caruaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.