Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Arapiraca

For one person, living is cheaper in Arapiraca: $847 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Arapiraca, Brazil
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,294
/mo nomad
Arapiraca
🇧🇷 Brazil
$847
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Arapiraca

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

A single person spends $1,294 per month in Phuket vs $847 in Arapiraca, rent included.

  • Phuket $1,294
  • Arapiraca $847

A couple spends around $2,204 per month in Phuket vs $1,345 in Arapiraca, rent included.

  • Phuket $2,204
  • Arapiraca $1,345

A family of three spends $3,115 per month in Phuket vs $1,843 in Arapiraca, rent included.

  • Phuket $3,115
  • Arapiraca $1,843

Phuket costs about 53% more than Arapiraca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Phuket and Arapiraca are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 4% lower, Arapiraca 37% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Arapiraca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.39 ฿148
$5.25 R$28.67
-16.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.31 ฿1,090
$35.59 R$194
-9.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.70 ฿294
$9.05 R$49.43
-3.87%
Cappuccino
$2.72 ฿91.9
$2.43 R$13.27
11.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.93 ฿31.39
$1.02 R$5.58
-8.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.50 ฿16.85
$0.59 R$3.24
-15.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.53 ฿85.4
$1.53 R$8.34
65.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 ฿122
$3.01 R$16.44
20.60%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Arapiraca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 ฿58.7
$1.33 R$7.28
30.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 ฿48.95
$1.52 R$8.28
-4.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.7
$1.53 R$8.38
-1.96%
Eggs
$2.17 ฿73.3
$1.85 R$10.11
17.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.09 ฿644
$6.58 R$35.96
190.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.40 ฿115
$4.33 R$23.64
-21.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.90 ฿368
$7.56 R$41.29
44.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 ฿99.2
$1.33 R$7.27
121.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿57.1
$1.26 R$6.86
34.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.19 ฿74.0
$0.69 R$3.78
217.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 ฿71.7
$1.14 R$6.24
85.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 ฿49.21
$1.36 R$7.44
7.35%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 ฿46.15
$0.99 R$5.43
38.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.08 ฿36.30
$0.45 R$2.47
140.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.55 ฿18.41
$0.79 R$4.34
-30.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.43 ฿149
$1.72 R$9.37
157.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.25 ฿616
$7.56 R$41.26
141.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 ฿59.8
$1.06 R$5.78
66.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 ฿97.2
$1.45 R$7.94
98.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Arapiraca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.84
$0.98 R$5.35
47.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.9 ฿1,852
$41.40 R$226
32.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 ฿51.0
$1.14 R$6.23
32.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 ฿26.18
$0.71 R$3.89
9.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.84 ฿130
$3.22 R$17.59
19.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 ฿50.2
$1.22 R$6.65
22.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.9K ฿907.0K
$21.6K R$117.8K
24.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K ฿888.9K
$32.2K R$175.9K
-18.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Arapiraca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.8 ฿3,300
$108 R$592
-9.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 ฿381
$12.59 R$68.7
-10.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.19 ฿580
$16.69 R$91.2
3.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Arapiraca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$68.3 ฿2,305
$24.45 R$134
179.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.92 ฿368
$25.62 R$140
-57.38%
Cinema Ticket
$7.43 ฿251
$6.45 R$35.25
15.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Arapiraca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$530 ฿17.9K
$260 R$1,420
103.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.8K ฿633.7K
$11.3K R$61.6K
66.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Arapiraca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.7 ฿2,081
$41.76 R$228
47.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.25 ฿953
$46.56 R$254
-39.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.0 ฿3,239
$70.6 R$385
36.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.8 ฿2,929
$78.2 R$427
11.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Arapiraca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$721 ฿24.3K
$339 R$1,851
112.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$509 ฿17.2K
$227 R$1,241
124.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,950 ฿65.8K
$643 R$3,511
203.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,397 ฿47.1K
$456 R$2,487
206.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,192 ฿141.4K
$1,570 R$8,575
166.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,298 ฿111.3K
$1,134 R$6,191
190.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Arapiraca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$492 ฿16.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.57
11.75
-52.60%

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Arapiraca: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$509
Arapiraca
$227 55.4% $282
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$267
Arapiraca
$170 36.5% $97
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$126
Arapiraca
$138 9% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$123
Arapiraca
$107 13.1% $16
Eating Out
Phuket
$120
Arapiraca
$118 0.9% $1.1
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$83
Arapiraca
$37 55.1% $46
Getting Around
Phuket
$66
Arapiraca
$50 24.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $721 in Phuket versus $339 in Arapiraca. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $36 in Arapiraca. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Phuket vs $170 in Arapiraca – so Arapiraca wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇷 Arapiraca
🕒 Local time
07:15 7:15 AM
21:15 9:15 PM
10 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
234,696
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.11 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Arapiraca 15,080 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Arapiraca

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
Phuket vs Arapiraca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Phuket and in Arapiraca compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,294 in Phuket, $847 in Arapiraca – Arapiraca comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Phuket compared to Arapiraca?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Phuket and $1,270 in Arapiraca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Phuket and Arapiraca?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Arapiraca, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $339 there versus $721 in Phuket.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Phuket and Arapiraca?
Kindergarten costs $530 per month in Phuket and $260 in Arapiraca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 57% more in Phuket, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Arapiraca, where all-in costs run around $847, than in Phuket at $1,294. In Arapiraca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Phuket or Arapiraca?
Families tend to lean toward Arapiraca – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

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