Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotia and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotia and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $800 per month in Cotia vs $1,270 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,286 per month in Cotia vs $2,304 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,772 per month in Cotia vs $3,339 in Phuket, rent included.

Cotia is about 37% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Cotia and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Cotia 40% lower, Phuket 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 R$31.91

$4.66 ฿150

37.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.40 R$166

$46.44 ฿1,496

-28.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 R$36.12

$8.68 ฿280

-16.24%

Cappuccino

$1.80 R$8.94

$2.95 ฿95.0

-38.98%

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

$1.25 R$6.22

$0.70 ฿22.52

78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.18

$0.39 ฿12.70

115.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 R$9.00

$2.53 ฿81.6

-28.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 R$13.97

$3.78 ฿122

-25.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.05

$2.22 ฿71.5

-54.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 R$7.76

$1.80 ฿57.8

-13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.31

$2.19 ฿70.4

-42.01%

Eggs

$2.33 R$11.56

$2.31 ฿74.5

0.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.41 R$41.79

$19.34 ฿623

-56.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 R$18.75

$3.77 ฿121

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.63 R$42.88

$13.22 ฿426

-34.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 R$10.74

$3.33 ฿107

-35.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 R$8.94

$1.65 ฿53.1

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.03

$2.29 ฿73.7

-38.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.70

$1.99 ฿64.1

-22.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.55

$1.53 ฿49.24

-13.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.37

$1.51 ฿48.77

-28.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.72

$1.03 ฿33.12

-27.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.04

$0.51 ฿16.57

19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 R$12.23

$4.41 ฿142

-44.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.65 R$47.97

$19.41 ฿625

-50.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R$6.72

$1.80 ฿58.0

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.88

$2.68 ฿86.4

-10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.33

$1.43 ฿46.11

-39.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.17 R$190

$11.70 ฿377

226.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 R$4.41

$3.04 ฿97.9

-70.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.52

$1.04 ฿33.37

-31.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 R$43.38

$13.68 ฿441

-36.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 R$4.99

$1.30 ฿41.85

-23.08%

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

$22.0K R$109.6K

$27.9K ฿898.9K

-20.98%

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

$28.1K R$139.8K

$33.0K ฿1.1M

-14.85%

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

$47.87 R$238

$123 ฿3,962

-61.07%

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

$13.20 R$65.6

$13.82 ฿445

-4.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 R$93.8

$18.86 ฿608

0.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.10 R$110

$61.2 ฿1,970

-63.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 R$105

$16.81 ฿541

26.06%

Cinema Ticket

$5.34 R$26.54

$8.87 ฿286

-39.80%

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

$316 R$1,572

$696 ฿22.4K

-54.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,979 R$34.7K

$16.1K ฿517.4K

-56.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 R$255

$59.3 ฿1,910

-13.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 R$212

$34.85 ฿1,123

22.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 R$390

$113 ฿3,646

-30.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 R$353

$85.1 ฿2,740

-16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,588

$615 ฿19.8K

-48.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 R$1,080

$448 ฿14.4K

-51.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 R$2,915

$2,085 ฿67.2K

-71.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 R$2,107

$1,496 ฿48.2K

-71.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,704 R$8,468

$3,734 ฿120.3K

-54.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,192 R$5,925

$2,662 ฿85.8K

-55.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

5.33

104.88%

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

Last update for Cotia: April 20, 2026

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $319 in Cotia versus $615 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Cotia versus $46 in Phuket. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $291 – making Cotia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cotia vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 59% more than Cotia, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,199 per month in Cotia and $1,904 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cotia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Cotia and $46.00 in Phuket. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $800 in Cotia and $1,270 in Phuket. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cotia, where all-in costs run around $800, than in Phuket at $1,270. In Cotia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cotia costs $800 versus $1,270 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cotia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.