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: $1,264 in Phuket versus $634 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,256 in Phuket versus $987 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,248 in Phuket versus $1,340 in Aracaju.

Living in Phuket is roughly 99% more expensive than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Aracaju 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.48 ฿150

$4.99 R$25.30

-10.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.59 ฿1,522

$21.20 R$108

115.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.76 ฿292

$5.43 R$27.57

61.33%

Cappuccino

$2.97 ฿99.1

$1.55 R$7.87

91.61%

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

$0.69 ฿22.92

$0.96 R$4.88

-28.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿13.05

$0.57 R$2.88

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.5

$1.81 R$9.19

39.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 ฿125

$2.56 R$13.01

46.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 ฿71.6

$0.93 R$4.71

131.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 ฿60.6

$1.26 R$6.40

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 ฿73.0

$0.98 R$4.99

122.45%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.1

$1.50 R$7.59

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.00 ฿668

$6.58 R$33.40

203.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿121

$3.40 R$17.27

6.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.56 ฿453

$6.36 R$32.25

113.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 ฿108

$1.63 R$8.25

98.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿54.6

$1.15 R$5.85

42.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ฿77.9

$0.64 R$3.26

264.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 ฿69.2

$0.93 R$4.70

122.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$0.93 R$4.74

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.58

$0.88 R$4.47

65.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.88

$0.46 R$2.34

113.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.11

$0.62 R$3.13

-22.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 ฿145

$1.99 R$10.12

118.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 ฿620

$5.81 R$29.48

219.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.0

$1.30 R$6.62

43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 ฿88.7

$1.82 R$9.26

45.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿47.32

$0.85 R$4.29

67.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.57 ฿386

$37.78 R$192

-69.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 ฿106

$1.04 R$5.26

204.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ฿34.45

$1.08 R$5.49

-4.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 ฿464

$6.23 R$31.61

122.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿44.88

$1.04 R$5.26

28.85%

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

$27.8K ฿927.9K

$18.1K R$91.7K

53.78%

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

$33.4K ฿1.1M

$26.9K R$136.7K

23.96%

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

$123 ฿4,109

$68.0 R$345

80.93%

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

$13.77 ฿460

$14.24 R$72.3

-3.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.33 ฿612

$15.69 R$79.6

16.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.7 ฿2,026

$18.98 R$96.3

219.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.16 ฿573

$24.76 R$126

-30.69%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿296

$5.72 R$29.01

55.07%

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

$688 ฿23.0K

$170 R$862

304.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿526.9K

$4,821 R$24.5K

227.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,980

$52.9 R$269

12.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.69 ฿1,158

$29.89 R$152

16.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,846

$68.6 R$348

68.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 ฿2,797

$77.3 R$392

8.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$621 ฿20.7K

$181 R$918

243.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.9K

$118 R$597

278.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,034 ฿67.9K

$609 R$3,091

233.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿50.0K

$210 R$1,065

612.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,455 ฿115.4K

$1,289 R$6,540

168.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,531 ฿84.5K

$900 R$4,567

181.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$441 R$2,238

11.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.35

-48.50%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $621 in Phuket and $181 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 12% 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: $46.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $146 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 99% in total monthly costs ($1,264 vs $634 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $621 in Phuket versus $181 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $688 in Phuket versus $170 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $634 in Aracaju versus $1,264 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 99% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.