Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bauru Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Bauru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $644 in Bauru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,070 in Bauru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,497 in Bauru.

Living in Phuket is roughly 96% more expensive than Bauru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Bauru 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$4.97 R$24.87

-5.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$21.71 R$109

108.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.14 R$30.73

37.30%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.39 R$6.95

110.79%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.86 R$4.29

-19.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.56 R$2.78

-33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.40 R$6.99

72.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.41 R$12.05

54.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.84 R$4.19

165.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.30 R$6.49

40.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.13 R$5.63

92.04%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.28 R$11.39

-3.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$6.38 R$31.92

209.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.88 R$19.41

-6.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$5.18 R$25.90

161.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.94 R$9.70

69.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.38 R$6.92

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.07 R$5.33

125.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.73 R$8.65

20.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.30 R$6.50

17.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.18 R$5.89

25.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.95 R$4.77

4.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.68 R$3.40

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.83 R$9.14

140.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$6.83 R$34.20

183.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.06 R$5.29

67.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.58 R$7.90

71.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.88 R$4.42

55.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$26.69 R$134

-57.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$0.69 R$3.43

337.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$0.58 R$2.90

70.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$4.55 R$22.76

209.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.93 R$4.63

46.24%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$21.5K R$107.7K

31.00%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.3K R$141.7K

16.21%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$50.9 R$255

139.10%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$11.90 R$59.5

14.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$20.08 R$101

-8.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$20.10 R$101

199.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$19.57 R$97.9

-12.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$3.84 R$19.20

126.30%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$284 R$1,421

144.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,305 R$26.5K

195.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$46.89 R$235

26.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$44.64 R$223

-22.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$74.9 R$375

53.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$69.2 R$346

20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$232 R$1,160

164.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$149 R$746

193.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$444 R$2,223

371.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$337 R$1,685

348.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,601 R$8,013

134.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$695 R$3,480

276.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$381 R$1,909

33.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.59

-44.42%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Bauru: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $232 in Bauru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 33% 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: $45.00 in Phuket vs $22.00 in Bauru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $160 per month, with Bauru 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 Bauru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bauru wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bauru the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Phuket pays 33% 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: $613 in Phuket versus $232 in Bauru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bauru – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,265 per month in Phuket versus $644 in Bauru – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $644 in Bauru versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bauru but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Bauru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bauru delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $644 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bauru hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Bauru 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 Bauru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.