Cost of Living Comparison Between Macaé and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Macaé and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $836 in Macaé versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,343 in Macaé versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,851 in Macaé versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Macaé costs roughly 34% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Macaé 38% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.64 R$28.57

$4.70 ฿153

20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.48 R$175

$45.37 ฿1,482

-24.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 R$32.52

$8.43 ฿275

-23.84%

Cappuccino

$1.89 R$9.55

$2.93 ฿95.6

-35.49%

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

$1.22 R$6.19

$0.69 ฿22.40

76.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.27

$0.37 ฿11.99

127.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 R$9.20

$2.41 ฿78.6

-24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 R$10.76

$3.72 ฿122

-43.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.33

$2.23 ฿72.9

-52.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 R$8.31

$1.83 ฿59.8

-10.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.53

$2.17 ฿70.8

-40.55%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.17

$2.21 ฿72.3

-9.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 R$39.22

$19.74 ฿645

-60.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 R$18.48

$3.63 ฿119

0.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.31 R$31.97

$13.53 ฿442

-53.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.30

$3.28 ฿107

-25.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.61 ฿52.6

-23.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.84

$2.41 ฿78.6

-52.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.01

$2.08 ฿68.1

-33.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.61

$1.53 ฿49.93

-27.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.63

$1.48 ฿48.36

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.46

$0.99 ฿32.29

-31.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 R$2.34

$0.51 ฿16.67

-9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 R$10.08

$4.41 ฿144

-54.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 R$30.56

$19.38 ฿633

-68.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.34

$1.78 ฿58.1

-51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 R$5.84

$2.71 ฿88.6

-57.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 R$3.51

$1.37 ฿44.79

-49.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 R$378

$11.39 ฿372

555.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.64

$3.02 ฿98.6

-63.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.51

$0.99 ฿32.48

-30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 R$39.34

$14.10 ฿461

-44.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.40

$1.36 ฿44.51

-21.32%

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

$18.4K R$93.0K

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-34.89%

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

$27.6K R$139.8K

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-16.10%

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

$59.7 R$302

$122 ฿3,975

-50.95%

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

$9.69 R$49.05

$13.57 ฿443

-28.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 R$94.8

$18.31 ฿598

2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.82 R$197

$60.2 ฿1,967

-35.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.30 R$138

$17.14 ฿560

59.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.26 R$31.69

$8.69 ฿284

-27.96%

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

$535 R$2,710

$693 ฿22.6K

-22.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,559 R$33.2K

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-58.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.28 R$229

$59.5 ฿1,944

-23.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.29 R$148

$34.77 ฿1,136

-15.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 R$365

$115 ฿3,743

-37.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 R$308

$83.3 ฿2,720

-26.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$353 R$1,789

$613 ฿20.0K

-42.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$230 R$1,163

$437 ฿14.3K

-47.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 R$3,343

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-68.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 R$2,541

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-66.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,243 R$6,293

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-66.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$784 R$3,972

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-70.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$780 R$3,948

$508 ฿16.6K

53.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

5.33

111.07%

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

Last update for Macaé: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $353 in Macaé and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Macaé vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $293 per month, with Macaé 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

Macaé vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macaé and Phuket differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($836 vs $1,265 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Macaé pays 53% more on average, 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: $353 in Macaé versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $836 per month in Macaé versus $1,265 in Phuket – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $836 in Macaé versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé 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, Macaé 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 Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.