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: $1,261 in Phuket versus $638 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,286 in Phuket versus $1,009 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,310 in Phuket versus $1,379 in Aracaju.

Living in Phuket is roughly 98% more expensive than Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Aracaju 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿149

$4.94 R$25.00

-7.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.63 ฿1,519

$21.51 R$109

116.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 ฿276

$5.45 R$27.58

55.41%

Cappuccino

$3.03 ฿98.6

$1.61 R$8.17

88.20%

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

$0.69 ฿22.45

$0.94 R$4.77

-26.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.92

$0.56 R$2.85

-33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 ฿81.0

$1.75 R$8.85

42.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 ฿119

$2.58 R$13.06

41.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 ฿71.0

$0.94 R$4.77

131.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 ฿62.0

$1.26 R$6.35

50.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 ฿71.6

$1.03 R$5.19

113.59%

Eggs

$2.22 ฿72.4

$1.55 R$7.83

43.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.99 ฿651

$6.66 R$33.70

200.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.66 ฿119

$3.40 R$17.23

7.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.25 ฿432

$6.55 R$33.17

102.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿105

$1.67 R$8.47

93.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 ฿55.3

$1.10 R$5.58

54.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.39 ฿78.0

$0.66 R$3.33

262.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿67.7

$1.00 R$5.05

108.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 ฿51.8

$0.91 R$4.61

74.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.31

$0.86 R$4.37

72.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.54

$0.50 R$2.52

106.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿16.83

$0.57 R$2.88

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 ฿138

$1.94 R$9.83

119.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿612

$5.71 R$28.91

229.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 ฿57.2

$1.27 R$6.43

38.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ฿89.8

$1.91 R$9.65

44.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.36 ฿44.32

$0.83 R$4.21

63.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.36 ฿370

$37.86 R$192

-69.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 ฿102

$1.09 R$5.51

188.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.74

$1.12 R$5.69

-7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.77 ฿448

$6.06 R$30.67

127.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 ฿43.79

$1.02 R$5.16

31.37%

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

$27.7K ฿901.4K

$17.7K R$89.8K

56.02%

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

$33.9K ฿1.1M

$26.8K R$135.6K

26.41%

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

$124 ฿4,025

$66.7 R$337

85.43%

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

$13.52 ฿440

$13.78 R$69.7

-1.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.69 ฿609

$15.61 R$79.0

19.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 ฿2,013

$18.82 R$95.3

228.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.25 ฿562

$24.03 R$122

-28.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ฿298

$5.60 R$28.34

63.21%

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

$703 ฿22.9K

$166 R$843

322.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K ฿517.0K

$4,806 R$24.3K

230.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,937

$52.7 R$267

12.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.07 ฿1,142

$29.88 R$151

17.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,754

$68.7 R$348

67.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 ฿2,737

$78.6 R$398

6.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 ฿20.1K

$181 R$918

241.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 ฿14.1K

$119 R$602

263.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 ฿67.2K

$596 R$3,016

246.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 ฿49.2K

$214 R$1,085

605.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,646 ฿118.7K

$1,232 R$6,239

195.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,626 ฿85.5K

$858 R$4,343

206.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 ฿16.5K

$437 R$2,210

16.14%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $619 in Phuket and $181 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 16% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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 98% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $638 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 16% 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: $619 in Phuket versus $181 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $703 in Phuket versus $166 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 $638 in Aracaju versus $1,261 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 98% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.