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: $790 in Jacareí versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,277 in Jacareí versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,764 in Jacareí versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Jacareí costs roughly 38% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jacareí 41% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.46 R$33.26

$4.70 ฿154

37.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 R$167

$45.37 ฿1,489

-28.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 R$33.81

$8.43 ฿277

-22.18%

Cappuccino

$1.81 R$9.31

$2.93 ฿96.1

-38.23%

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

$1.32 R$6.80

$0.69 ฿22.50

91.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R$4.23

$0.37 ฿12.04

121.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 R$9.10

$2.41 ฿79.0

-26.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 R$14.02

$3.72 ฿122

-26.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.64

$2.23 ฿73.3

-51.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 R$7.84

$1.83 ฿60.1

-16.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.14

$2.17 ฿71.1

-45.16%

Eggs

$2.36 R$12.15

$2.21 ฿72.6

6.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 R$42.03

$19.74 ฿648

-58.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 R$19.14

$3.63 ฿119

2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.25

$13.53 ฿444

-39.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 R$10.92

$3.28 ฿108

-35.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.20

$1.61 ฿52.9

11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.08

$2.41 ฿79.0

-43.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R$8.18

$2.08 ฿68.4

-23.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.42

$1.53 ฿50.2

-18.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.64

$1.48 ฿48.58

-25.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.89

$0.99 ฿32.44

-24.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.30

$0.51 ฿16.74

25.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.76 R$9.06

$4.41 ฿145

-60.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.73 R$39.82

$19.38 ฿636

-60.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R$7.03

$1.78 ฿58.4

-23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 R$10.68

$2.71 ฿89.0

-23.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.81

$1.37 ฿44.99

-32.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.76 R$195

$11.39 ฿374

231.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 R$4.76

$3.02 ฿99.1

-69.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 R$3.15

$0.99 ฿32.63

-38.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 R$39.56

$14.10 ฿463

-45.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.21

$1.36 ฿44.71

-25.74%

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

$22.0K R$113.2K

$28.2K ฿925.3K

-22.07%

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

$28.8K R$148.2K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-12.57%

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

$47.25 R$243

$122 ฿3,993

-61.18%

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

$15.32 R$78.9

$13.57 ฿445

12.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.80 R$112

$18.31 ฿601

19.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.37 R$115

$60.2 ฿1,976

-62.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.42 R$110

$17.14 ฿562

24.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.44 R$28.02

$8.69 ฿285

-37.40%

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

$315 R$1,624

$693 ฿22.8K

-54.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,784 R$34.9K

$15.7K ฿514.7K

-56.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R$280

$59.5 ฿1,953

-8.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 R$268

$34.77 ฿1,141

49.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$386

$115 ฿3,760

-34.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.0 R$371

$83.3 ฿2,733

-13.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$311 R$1,601

$613 ฿20.1K

-49.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 R$1,135

$437 ฿14.3K

-49.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 R$3,031

$2,094 ฿68.7K

-71.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 R$2,210

$1,509 ฿49.5K

-71.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,406 R$7,245

$3,749 ฿123.0K

-62.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,296 R$6,676

$2,616 ฿85.8K

-50.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

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 Jacareí: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $311 in Jacareí and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Jacareí vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $293 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 60% 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 $1,184 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: $311 in Jacareí versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $315 in Jacareí versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $790 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 $790 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 60% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.