Cost of Living Comparison Between Criciuma and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Criciuma and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $691 in Criciuma versus $1,261 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,018 in Criciuma versus $2,276 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,345 in Criciuma versus $3,291 in Phuket.

Living in Criciuma costs roughly 45% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Criciuma 48% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.85 R$24.63

$4.53 ฿153

7.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.28 R$108

$46.36 ฿1,563

-54.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 R$25.87

$8.65 ฿292

-41.04%

Cappuccino

$1.24 R$6.31

$3.09 ฿104

-59.87%

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

$0.88 R$4.47

$0.68 ฿22.86

29.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.37 ฿12.42

54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 R$8.40

$2.42 ฿81.5

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 R$7.98

$3.81 ฿128

-58.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 R$4.20

$2.18 ฿73.4

-61.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 R$6.46

$1.82 ฿61.3

-30.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.60

$2.18 ฿73.4

-58.26%

Eggs

$1.77 R$8.99

$2.24 ฿75.4

-20.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 R$39.01

$19.93 ฿672

-61.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 R$16.69

$3.64 ฿123

-9.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.72 R$34.10

$13.56 ฿457

-50.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.33

$3.29 ฿111

-44.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 R$4.17

$1.69 ฿56.8

-51.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.61

$2.33 ฿78.7

-60.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.69

$2.03 ฿68.3

-34.98%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.04

$1.60 ฿53.9

-38.13%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.98

$1.49 ฿50.4

-34.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 R$3.59

$1.01 ฿34.13

-29.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 R$3.01

$0.48 ฿16.07

22.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 R$13.05

$4.45 ฿150

-42.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 R$24.81

$18.63 ฿628

-73.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.44

$1.79 ฿60.2

-40.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 R$6.63

$2.80 ฿94.3

-53.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 R$4.34

$1.42 ฿47.84

-39.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.05 R$163

$11.33 ฿382

182.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 R$2.12

$3.09 ฿104

-86.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 R$5.33

$1.04 ฿35.15

0.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 R$11.22

$13.63 ฿459

-83.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.54

$1.31 ฿44.18

-16.79%

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

$20.4K R$103.3K

$27.3K ฿919.6K

-25.34%

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

$25.3K R$128.5K

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-23.79%

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

$57.9 R$294

$123 ฿4,152

-52.98%

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

$13.66 R$69.3

$13.81 ฿465

-1.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.99 R$106

$18.52 ฿624

13.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.79 R$126

$60.4 ฿2,035

-58.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.86 R$111

$16.80 ฿566

30.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 R$39.41

$8.89 ฿300

-12.60%

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

$125 R$636

$687 ฿23.1K

-81.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,503 R$7,626

$15.6K ฿524.2K

-90.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.52 R$124

$57.6 ฿1,943

-57.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.38 R$149

$34.66 ฿1,168

-15.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.7 R$349

$115 ฿3,874

-40.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$31.32 R$159

$84.9 ฿2,862

-63.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$218 R$1,108

$618 ฿20.8K

-64.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 R$993

$443 ฿14.9K

-55.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 R$1,491

$2,047 ฿69.0K

-85.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,248

$1,506 ฿50.8K

-83.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,186 R$6,019

$3,568 ฿120.3K

-66.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$639 R$3,244

$2,511 ฿84.6K

-74.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$309 R$1,567

$503 ฿16.9K

-38.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.4

5.33

57.60%

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

Last update for Criciuma: July 21, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $218 in Criciuma and $618 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 63% 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: $21.00 in Criciuma vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $148 vs $292 per month, with Criciuma 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

Criciuma vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Criciuma is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 63% 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: $218 in Criciuma versus $618 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Criciuma runs roughly 183% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $125 in Criciuma versus $687 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $691 in Criciuma versus $1,261 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Criciuma but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Criciuma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Criciuma 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, Criciuma 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 Criciuma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.