Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Botucatu

For one person, living is cheaper in Botucatu: $629 a month against $1,278 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Phuket, Thailand
Botucatu, Brazil
Phuket
🇹🇭 Thailand
$1,278
/mo nomad
Botucatu
🇧🇷 Brazil
$629
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Botucatu

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 Botucatu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,278 in Phuket versus $629 in Botucatu.

  • Phuket $1,278
  • Botucatu $629

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,216 in Phuket versus $1,009 in Botucatu.

  • Phuket $2,216
  • Botucatu $1,009

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,154 in Phuket versus $1,388 in Botucatu.

  • Phuket $3,154
  • Botucatu $1,388

Living in Phuket is roughly 103% more expensive than in Botucatu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Botucatu 54% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Phuket
Botucatu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.47 ฿151
$5.50 R$29.61
-18.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.41 ฿1,092
$29.72 R$160
9.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 ฿297
$6.50 R$34.96
35.54%
Cappuccino
$2.83 ฿95.2
$2.49 R$13.41
13.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 ฿29.36
$1.26 R$6.81
-30.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 ฿16.63
$0.93 R$5.01
-47.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.56 ฿86.2
$2.44 R$13.14
4.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 ฿124
$2.72 R$14.65
35.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Phuket
Botucatu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 ฿55.9
$0.87 R$4.67
90.80%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 ฿49.24
$1.25 R$6.71
16.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 ฿50.4
$0.92 R$4.93
63.04%
Eggs
$2.09 ฿70.4
$1.88 R$10.10
11.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.07 ฿642
$7.98 R$42.93
138.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.30 ฿111
$3.72 R$20.01
-11.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.91 ฿368
$7.10 R$38.22
53.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.93 ฿98.7
$1.94 R$10.45
51.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.69 ฿56.9
$1.16 R$6.26
45.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 ฿75.7
$0.90 R$4.84
150.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 ฿69.9
$1.14 R$6.14
82.46%
Potato (1kg)
$1.51 ฿50.9
$1.27 R$6.83
18.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.38 ฿46.45
$0.95 R$5.13
45.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 ฿35.90
$0.86 R$4.65
24.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 ฿17.48
$0.82 R$4.41
-36.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.20 ฿142
$2.21 R$11.88
90.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.79 ฿633
$6.20 R$33.35
203.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.82 ฿61.4
$1.12 R$6.04
62.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 ฿95.7
$1.78 R$9.56
59.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Phuket
Botucatu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ฿48.91
$0.87 R$4.68
66.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.7 ฿1,909
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 ฿102
$1.46 R$7.88
106.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.02 ฿34.28
$1.53 R$8.23
-33.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.69 ฿124
$16.65 R$89.6
-77.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 ฿49.69
$1.13 R$6.10
30.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K ฿902.1K
$22.0K R$118.3K
21.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K ฿899.2K
$31.5K R$169.6K
-15.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
Botucatu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$96.4 ฿3,246
$24.47 R$132
293.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.26 ฿380
$9.21 R$49.59
22.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$16.85 ฿568
$15.17 R$81.6
11.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
Botucatu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.2 ฿2,265
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.73 ฿361
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.50 ฿253
$8.45 R$45.47
-11.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Phuket
Botucatu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$476 ฿16.0K
$265 R$1,428
79.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.3K ฿379.5K
$5,872 R$31.6K
91.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
Botucatu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.4 ฿2,101
$48.58 R$261
28.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.41 ฿957
$34.27 R$184
-17.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.3 ฿3,177
$87.9 R$473
7.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.8 ฿2,891
$56.8 R$306
51.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Phuket
Botucatu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$716 ฿24.1K
$258 R$1,387
177.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$491 ฿16.5K
$166 R$891
196.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,927 ฿64.9K
$562 R$3,025
242.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 ฿48.2K
$284 R$1,530
403.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,175 ฿140.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,045 ฿102.6K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Phuket
Botucatu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$502 ฿16.9K
$399 R$2,146
25.93%
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: October 26, 2026

Last update for Botucatu: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Phuket
$491
Botucatu
$166 66.3% $325
Groceries & Markets
Phuket
$266
Botucatu
$163 38.9% $104
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Phuket
$124
Botucatu
$49 60.8% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Phuket
$122
Botucatu
$102 16% $20
Eating Out
Phuket
$122
Botucatu
$120 1.5% $1.9
Sport & Entertainment
Phuket
$82
Botucatu
$17 * 79.4% $65
Getting Around
Phuket
$71
Botucatu
$13 * 82.2% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $716 in Phuket and $258 in Botucatu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 26% 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 in Phuket vs $30 in Botucatu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $163 per month, with Botucatu cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇹🇭 Phuket
🇧🇷 Botucatu
🕒 Local time
02:58 2:58 AM
16:58 4:58 PM
10 h behind Phuket
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,308
145,155
💱 Currency
Thai Baht THB ฿
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 33.69 THB (100 THB = 2.97 USD). 1 EUR = 37.73 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Phuket Botucatu 16,100 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Phuket
  • Botucatu

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 Botucatu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Phuket or Botucatu?
Botucatu wins on cost – living expenses run 51% 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.
Are salaries higher in Phuket or in Botucatu?
Average pay runs 26% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Phuket compared to Botucatu?
Rent for a central apartment: $716 in Phuket versus $258 in Botucatu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Phuket and in Botucatu?
Childcare runs $476 in Phuket versus $265 in Botucatu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Phuket and in Botucatu?
Dining out is cheaper in Botucatu – a meal for two runs $30 versus $32 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Phuket or in Botucatu?
At $629 in Botucatu versus $1,278 in Phuket, a $800 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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Phuket or Botucatu?
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.
Should I move to Phuket or to Botucatu?
It comes down to priorities – Botucatu wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Phuket vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?