Cost of Living Comparison Between Jacareí and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Jacareí and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $860 in Jacareí versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,391 in Jacareí versus $2,089 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,923 in Jacareí versus $2,913 in Phuket.

Living in Jacareí costs roughly 32% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jacareí 38% lower, Phuket 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 R$35.02

$4.66 ฿154

46.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.77 R$158

$32.22 ฿1,065

-4.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.71 R$34.40

$8.68 ฿287

-22.70%

Cappuccino

$2.14 R$10.99

$2.90 ฿95.8

-26.21%

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

$1.51 R$7.73

$0.84 ฿27.89

79.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R$4.58

$0.49 ฿16.16

81.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 R$13.25

$2.48 ฿82.0

4.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 R$14.70

$3.73 ฿123

-23.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R$6.00

$1.89 ฿62.3

-38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 R$9.41

$1.41 ฿46.54

29.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.89

$1.62 ฿53.6

-29.01%

Eggs

$2.37 R$12.13

$2.24 ฿74.1

5.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.64 R$44.29

$19.84 ฿656

-56.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 R$21.53

$3.48 ฿115

20.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.83 R$50.4

$11.37 ฿376

-13.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 R$12.91

$2.90 ฿95.8

-13.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.39

$1.72 ฿57.0

6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R$8.91

$2.27 ฿75.1

-23.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.82

$2.13 ฿70.4

-19.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.56

$1.47 ฿48.72

-12.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.48

$1.42 ฿46.92

-11.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 R$5.13

$1.10 ฿36.25

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.77

$0.60 ฿19.76

23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 R$11.49

$4.31 ฿142

-48.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 R$40.15

$18.60 ฿615

-57.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 R$8.46

$1.80 ฿59.5

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$15.13

$2.97 ฿98.0

-0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.12

$2.25 ฿74.2

-55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.73 R$214

$23.49 ฿776

77.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.29

$3.10 ฿102

-60.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 R$7.11

$1.08 ฿35.56

28.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.01 R$46.20

$3.87 ฿128

132.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.18

$1.43 ฿47.16

-15.38%

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

$23.2K R$118.9K

$27.8K ฿918.0K

-16.49%

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

$31.7K R$162.4K

$27.0K ฿891.5K

17.42%

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

$44.94 R$230

$105 ฿3,462

-57.12%

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

$11.63 R$59.6

$11.39 ฿376

2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.63 R$111

$17.54 ฿580

23.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.94 R$128

$54.3 ฿1,795

-54.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.33 R$135

$11.44 ฿378

130.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 R$38.57

$7.78 ฿257

-3.34%

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

$272 R$1,397

$576 ฿19.0K

-52.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,351 R$37.7K

$11.6K ฿382.7K

-36.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 R$274

$63.6 ฿2,103

-16.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.50 R$187

$29.10 ฿961

25.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 R$468

$96.2 ฿3,179

-5.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 R$299

$90.0 ฿2,974

-35.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 R$1,774

$733 ฿24.2K

-52.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$229 R$1,173

$501 ฿16.5K

-54.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 R$3,231

$2,126 ฿70.2K

-70.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 R$2,297

$1,252 ฿41.4K

-64.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,597 R$8,186

$3,534 ฿116.8K

-54.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,121 R$5,748

$2,622 ฿86.6K

-57.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

5.57

99.64%

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

Last update for Jacareí: September 8, 2026

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $346 in Jacareí and $733 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $31.00 in Jacareí vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $275 per month, with Jacareí 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

Jacareí vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jacareí wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jacareí the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,290 in Jacareí and $1,898 in Phuket to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $346 in Jacareí versus $733 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $272 in Jacareí versus $576 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $860 in Jacareí versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jacareí but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jacareí the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jacareí delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $860 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jacareí hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Jacareí 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 Jacareí gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.