Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Aracaju Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Aracaju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $723 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,116 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,509 in Aracaju.

Living in Phuket is roughly 70% more expensive than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Aracaju 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$4.73 R$24.31

-6.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$23.49 R$121

37.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.01 R$30.89

48.59%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.76 R$9.06

64.77%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.13 R$5.82

-22.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.59 R$3.04

-18.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$1.96 R$10.10

19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.74 R$14.08

35.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.02 R$5.26

83.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.49 R$7.68

-1.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.20 R$6.15

29.17%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$1.68 R$8.65

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$7.51 R$38.62

160.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.65 R$18.79

-6.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$6.97 R$35.82

63.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.04 R$10.48

46.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.24 R$6.36

35.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$0.65 R$3.34

240.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.04 R$5.34

107.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$0.98 R$5.05

55.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$0.93 R$4.81

44.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.54 R$2.80

109.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.69 R$3.52

-20.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.30 R$11.84

85.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$5.88 R$30.26

224.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.26 R$6.46

41.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.05 R$10.53

35.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$0.90 R$4.65

147.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

$41.89 R$215

-45.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.57 R$8.09

92.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$1.18 R$6.08

-13.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$6.71 R$34.49

-42.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.28 R$6.59

16.41%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$23.6K R$121.2K

12.78%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$32.8K R$168.9K

-17.72%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$93.7 R$482

9.41%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$9.65 R$49.63

17.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$16.63 R$85.5

4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$21.73 R$112

139.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

$26.42 R$136

-58.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$6.37 R$32.76

20.72%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$176 R$907

217.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$5,177 R$26.6K

122.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$55.6 R$286

13.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$33.97 R$175

-13.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$84.4 R$434

16.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$81.3 R$418

8.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$295 R$1,516

150.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$138 R$712

248.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$614 R$3,158

243.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$273 R$1,401

349.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

$1,254 R$6,447

188.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

$875 R$4,499

197.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$450 R$2,312

9.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-44.30%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $295 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $23.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $161 per month, with Aracaju 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

Phuket vs Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Aracaju differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($1,232 vs $723 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Phuket, 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: $738 in Phuket versus $295 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $176 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Aracaju versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju 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, Phuket and Aracaju 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 Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.