Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Joao Pessoa and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Joao Pessoa: $1,045 a month against $1,208 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Joao Pessoa
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Joao Pessoa Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Joao Pessoa

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,045

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,208

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Joao Pessoa and in Phuket

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Joao Pessoa and in Phuket actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,045 in Joao Pessoa versus $1,208 in Phuket.

Joao Pessoa $1,045
Phuket $1,208

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,611 in Joao Pessoa versus $2,027 in Phuket.

Joao Pessoa $1,611
Phuket $2,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Joao Pessoa versus $2,845 in Phuket.

Joao Pessoa $2,178
Phuket $2,845

Living in Joao Pessoa costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Joao Pessoa 23% lower, Phuket 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.88 R$34.88

$4.40 ฿147

56.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.79 R$151

$32.26 ฿1,078

-7.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 R$39.72

$8.76 ฿293

-10.50%

Cappuccino

$1.53 R$7.75

$2.83 ฿94.5

-45.94%

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

$1.04 R$5.27

$0.90 ฿30.14

15.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 R$3.61

$0.47 ฿15.56

51.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 R$9.60

$2.55 ฿85.2

-25.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 R$18.21

$3.83 ฿128

-6.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.88

$1.73 ฿57.7

-32.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 R$10.34

$1.47 ฿49.11

38.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.52

$1.51 ฿50.6

-1.99%

Eggs

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.17 ฿72.7

-5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 R$42.31

$19.70 ฿658

-57.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.87 R$24.68

$3.34 ฿112

45.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 R$38.53

$11.16 ฿373

-31.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 R$17.01

$2.85 ฿95.1

17.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$1.70 ฿56.9

-43.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 R$4.50

$2.19 ฿73.3

-59.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.84

$2.05 ฿68.4

-43.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.11

$1.45 ฿48.57

10.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.23

$1.38 ฿46.16

-10.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.49

$1.07 ฿35.69

-35.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.30

$0.51 ฿16.91

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.92 R$14.78

$4.26 ฿142

-31.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.83 R$44.77

$18.58 ฿621

-52.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 R$8.12

$1.78 ฿59.7

-10.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R$16.13

$2.85 ฿95.2

11.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.10

$2.26 ฿75.6

-55.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 R$349

$22.10 ฿738

211.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 R$10.23

$3.01 ฿101

-32.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 R$9.85

$1.06 ฿35.34

83.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 R$15.74

$3.86 ฿129

-19.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.45 ฿48.45

-11.03%

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

$23.9K R$121.1K

$26.3K ฿879.9K

-9.27%

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

$33.3K R$168.6K

$26.9K ฿900.4K

23.45%

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

$130 R$661

$96.4 ฿3,221

35.23%

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

$22.76 R$115

$11.04 ฿369

106.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.66 R$120

$17.14 ฿573

38.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.89 R$192

$52.2 ฿1,744

-27.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.93 R$152

$11.16 ฿373

168.19%

Cinema Ticket

$10.82 R$54.9

$7.81 ฿261

38.54%

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

$436 R$2,209

$556 ฿18.6K

-21.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,649 R$33.7K

$11.6K ฿387.0K

-42.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 R$273

$64.2 ฿2,146

-15.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.6 R$348

$28.69 ฿959

138.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 R$446

$95.4 ฿3,187

-7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 R$383

$88.0 ฿2,940

-14.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 R$2,015

$737 ฿24.6K

-46.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$273 R$1,381

$462 ฿15.5K

-41.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$651 R$3,302

$2,095 ฿70.0K

-68.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 R$2,652

$1,201 ฿40.1K

-56.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,402 R$12.2K

$3,488 ฿116.6K

-31.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,192 R$6,043

$2,523 ฿84.3K

-52.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$510 R$2,584

$501 ฿16.7K

1.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

97.49%

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

Last update for Joao Pessoa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Joao Pessoa

$273 26.1%

Phuket

$462 38.3% 69.7% $190

Groceries & Markets

Joao Pessoa

$202 19.4%

Phuket

$269 22.2% 32.7% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Joao Pessoa

$177 16.9%

Phuket

$125 10.3% 29.5% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Joao Pessoa

$129 12.3%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 3.4% $4.3

Eating Out

Joao Pessoa

$121 11.5%

Phuket

$121 10% 0.6% $0.7

Getting Around

Joao Pessoa

$85 8.1%

Phuket

$39 3.3% 53.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Joao Pessoa

$60 5.7%

Phuket

$68 5.6% 13.9% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $398 in Joao Pessoa and $737 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Joao Pessoa pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Joao Pessoa vs $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $269 per month, with Joao Pessoa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Joao Pessoa

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

23:22 11:22 PM

10 h ahead of Joao Pessoa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

833,932

79,308

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Joao Pessoa Phuket 14,870 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Joao Pessoa
Phuket

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Joao Pessoa vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Joao Pessoa and Phuket differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,045 vs $1,208 including rent). Joao Pessoa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Joao Pessoa, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $398 in Joao Pessoa versus $737 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Joao Pessoa versus $556 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,045 in Joao Pessoa versus $1,208 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Joao Pessoa but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Joao Pessoa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Joao Pessoa 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 Joao Pessoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.