Cost of Living Comparison Between Guarulhos and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Guarulhos and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $919 per month in Guarulhos vs $1,253 in Phuket, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,712 per month in Guarulhos vs $2,043 in Phuket, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,504 per month in Guarulhos vs $2,833 in Phuket, rent included.

Guarulhos is about 27% cheaper than Phuket, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Guarulhos and Phuket are more affordable than the global median – Guarulhos 33% lower, Phuket 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 R$45.05

$4.56 ฿150

93.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.26 R$195

$32.62 ฿1,073

17.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 R$43.17

$8.90 ฿293

-4.83%

Cappuccino

$2.48 R$12.66

$2.80 ฿92.2

-11.43%

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

$1.36 R$6.93

$0.88 ฿28.94

54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.34

$0.49 ฿16.08

73.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R$11.53

$2.39 ฿78.5

-5.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.89

$3.71 ฿122

-0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.22

$1.79 ฿58.8

-43.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 R$9.14

$1.44 ฿47.40

24.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.81

$1.58 ฿52.1

-15.19%

Eggs

$2.73 R$13.93

$2.13 ฿69.9

28.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.68 R$59.6

$19.92 ฿655

-41.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 R$24.73

$3.43 ฿113

41.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.42 R$53.1

$11.33 ฿372

-8.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 R$11.71

$2.95 ฿97.0

-22.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.79

$1.72 ฿56.6

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.54

$2.32 ฿76.5

-36.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.26

$2.08 ฿68.4

-31.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.49

$1.47 ฿48.34

-13.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.07

$1.36 ฿44.65

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 R$4.75

$1.10 ฿36.13

-15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.29

$0.57 ฿18.89

47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 R$12.22

$4.27 ฿140

-43.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.74 R$49.66

$18.42 ฿606

-47.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R$7.72

$1.87 ฿61.5

-19.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.83

$2.92 ฿96.1

-13.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 R$5.71

$2.22 ฿73.0

-49.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 R$522

$22.90 ฿753

346.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.03

$3.03 ฿99.6

-61.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.51

$1.07 ฿35.32

-35.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.30 R$42.34

$3.93 ฿129

111.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.29

$1.49 ฿49.06

-17.45%

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

$22.5K R$114.8K

$27.1K ฿892.0K

-17.01%

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

$33.2K R$169.1K

$27.5K ฿902.6K

20.78%

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

$70.0 R$357

$103 ฿3,380

-31.89%

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

$15.34 R$78.2

$10.99 ฿361

39.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.72 R$111

$17.51 ฿576

24.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.90 R$137

$53.5 ฿1,760

-49.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 R$50.1

$7.48 ฿246

31.28%

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

$420 R$2,144

$557 ฿18.3K

-24.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,859 R$50.3K

$11.9K ฿389.7K

-16.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 R$319

$64.1 ฿2,107

-2.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 R$282

$29.07 ฿956

89.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 R$462

$96.0 ฿3,155

-5.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 R$423

$90.3 ฿2,970

-8.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 R$1,748

$730 ฿24.0K

-53.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$152 R$776

$500 ฿16.4K

-69.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 R$4,919

$2,090 ฿68.7K

-53.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 R$3,833

$1,209 ฿39.8K

-37.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,873 R$9,550

$3,596 ฿118.2K

-47.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,452 R$7,404

$2,512 ฿82.6K

-42.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$363 R$1,850

$503 ฿16.6K

-27.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

5.57

101.97%

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

Last update for Guarulhos: August 30, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in Guarulhos versus $730 in Phuket. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Guarulhos versus $33.00 in Phuket. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Guarulhos vs $273 in Phuket – so Guarulhos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Guarulhos vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 36% more than Guarulhos, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,379 per month in Guarulhos and $1,880 in Phuket. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guarulhos, 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 $38.00 in Guarulhos and $33.00 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 $919 in Guarulhos and $1,253 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 Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $919, than in Phuket at $1,253. In Guarulhos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarulhos costs $919 versus $1,253 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 Guarulhos. 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.