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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $668 in Botucatu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,111 in Botucatu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,555 in Botucatu.

Living in Phuket is roughly 90% more expensive than Botucatu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Botucatu 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$5.51 R$28.39

-14.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,489

$33.19 R$171

36.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿277

$6.43 R$33.12

31.10%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿96.1

$1.79 R$9.22

63.69%

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

$0.69 ฿22.50

$1.32 R$6.82

-47.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.04

$0.86 R$4.41

-56.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.83 R$9.40

31.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$3.36 R$17.31

10.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.3

$0.69 R$3.54

223.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿60.1

$1.00 R$5.13

83.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿71.1

$0.83 R$4.30

161.45%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.6

$1.16 R$5.96

90.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿648

$7.31 R$37.68

170.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$2.64 R$13.59

37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿444

$6.47 R$33.30

109.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿108

$1.57 R$8.09

108.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.9

$0.69 R$3.58

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.51 R$2.65

372.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.09 R$5.60

90.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿50.2

$0.87 R$4.48

75.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.58

$0.92 R$4.76

60.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.44

$0.53 R$2.73

86.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.74

$0.65 R$3.34

-21.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿145

$2.75 R$14.16

60.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿636

$6.68 R$34.39

190.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.4

$1.04 R$5.35

71.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿89.0

$2.45 R$12.62

10.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.99

$0.86 R$4.43

59.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿374

$38.88 R$200

-70.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿99.1

$0.86 R$4.44

251.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.63

$1.03 R$5.29

-3.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿463

$8.72 R$44.90

61.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.71

$0.95 R$4.88

43.16%

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

$28.2K ฿925.3K

$22.7K R$117.0K

24.14%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.5K R$152.0K

11.49%

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

$122 ฿3,993

$23.83 R$123

410.70%

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

$13.57 ฿445

$9.23 R$47.54

47.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿601

$14.17 R$73.0

29.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,976

$22.18 R$114

171.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿562

$21.26 R$109

-19.38%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿285

$5.49 R$28.27

58.29%

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

$693 ฿22.8K

$248 R$1,277

179.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿514.7K

$5,709 R$29.4K

174.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,953

$41.36 R$213

43.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,141

$38.46 R$198

-9.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,760

$45.08 R$232

154.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,733

$68.1 R$351

22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.1K

$318 R$1,640

92.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$214 R$1,104

103.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.7K

$578 R$2,979

262.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.5K

$425 R$2,187

255.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿123.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.7K

$422 R$2,175

20.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

9.5

-43.89%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Botucatu: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $318 in Botucatu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 20% 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 $33.00 in Botucatu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $137 per month, with Botucatu 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 Botucatu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Botucatu wins on cost – living expenses run 90% 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.

Phuket pays 20% 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 $318 in Botucatu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Botucatu – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $45.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Botucatu versus $1,265 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 $668 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 90% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.