Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Botucatu Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Botucatu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $672 in Botucatu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,093 in Botucatu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,515 in Botucatu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 83% more expensive than in Botucatu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Botucatu 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿146

$5.76 R$29.60

-23.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,071

$39.40 R$203

-18.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$6.78 R$34.89

31.71%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.1

$2.18 R$11.21

33.03%

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

$0.88 ฿29.22

$1.69 R$8.69

-47.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.97

$1.23 R$6.35

-60.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.1

$2.94 R$15.12

-20.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$4.62 R$23.76

-19.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿61.9

$0.85 R$4.35

120.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.68

$1.25 R$6.42

17.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.5

$0.97 R$5.01

59.79%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿69.8

$1.94 R$10.00

8.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿650

$8.39 R$43.14

133.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$3.88 R$19.97

-11.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿378

$7.60 R$39.09

49.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.1

$2.15 R$11.04

38.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿55.9

$1.28 R$6.56

31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.3

$1.00 R$5.13

121.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿71.8

$1.20 R$6.16

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.6

$1.33 R$6.86

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.43

$1.00 R$5.12

34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.47

$0.93 R$4.78

21.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.14

$0.78 R$4.01

-29.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.77 R$14.26

53.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿634

$6.67 R$34.31

186.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.1

$1.17 R$6.02

52.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.4

$2.64 R$13.59

5.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.0

$0.92 R$4.75

142.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿755

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.30 R$6.69

133.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿33.96

$1.38 R$7.09

-26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿129

$9.27 R$47.68

-58.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.50

$1.16 R$5.96

28.45%

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

$26.6K ฿882.5K

$23.0K R$118.4K

15.49%

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

$27.0K ฿897.4K

$32.8K R$168.9K

-17.71%

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

$102 ฿3,402

$25.44 R$131

302.79%

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

$11.33 ฿376

$9.86 R$50.7

14.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿578

$15.83 R$81.4

9.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,729

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿255

$7.68 R$39.50

0.13%

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

$561 ฿18.6K

$276 R$1,421

102.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿382.0K

$6,156 R$31.7K

86.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,093

$50.8 R$261

24.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿980

$57.4 R$295

-48.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,254

$94.0 R$483

4.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,938

$83.5 R$430

5.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.5K

$272 R$1,397

171.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.0K

$178 R$917

170.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿69.9K

$576 R$2,964

265.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.7K

$295 R$1,519

315.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$419 R$2,153

17.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

9.5

-41.37%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Botucatu: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $272 in Botucatu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 18% 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 $39.00 in Botucatu. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $172, with Botucatu cheaper for home cooking.

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 Botucatu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Botucatu wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Botucatu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% 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 $272 in Botucatu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $276 in Botucatu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Botucatu – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $672 in Botucatu versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Botucatu but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Botucatu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Botucatu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $672 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Botucatu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Botucatu 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 Botucatu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.