Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Caruaru Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Caruaru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,270 in Phuket versus $577 in Caruaru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,304 in Phuket versus $952 in Caruaru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,339 in Phuket versus $1,326 in Caruaru.

Living in Phuket is roughly 120% more expensive than Caruaru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 5% lower, Caruaru 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿150

$4.50 R$22.37

3.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.44 ฿1,496

$27.38 R$136

69.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿280

$6.37 R$31.64

36.26%

Cappuccino

$2.95 ฿95.0

$1.60 R$7.95

84.38%

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

$0.70 ฿22.52

$0.92 R$4.58

-23.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 ฿12.70

$0.35 R$1.72

11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿81.6

$1.06 R$5.25

138.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿122

$1.45 R$7.23

160.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 ฿71.5

$1.15 R$5.74

93.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ฿57.8

$0.98 R$4.87

83.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ฿70.4

$0.93 R$4.61

135.48%

Eggs

$2.31 ฿74.5

$2.48 R$12.31

-6.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.34 ฿623

$3.57 R$17.75

441.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 ฿121

$2.63 R$13.07

43.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 ฿426

$6.21 R$30.85

112.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 ฿107

$1.29 R$6.40

158.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ฿53.1

$0.85 R$4.23

94.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 ฿73.7

$0.77 R$3.85

197.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.1

$0.99 R$4.91

101.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.24

$0.77 R$3.85

98.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 ฿48.77

$0.88 R$4.36

71.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ฿33.12

$0.38 R$1.87

171.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.57

$0.57 R$2.81

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿142

$2.68 R$13.31

64.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.41 ฿625

$2.94 R$14.63

560.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿58.0

$1.45 R$7.20

24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿86.4

$2.99 R$14.85

-10.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 ฿46.11

$0.82 R$4.08

74.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿377

$24.56 R$122

-52.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 ฿97.9

$1.82 R$9.06

67.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿33.37

$0.63 R$3.11

65.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 ฿441

$2.69 R$13.38

408.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ฿41.85

$0.78 R$3.87

66.67%

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

$27.9K ฿898.9K

$19.2K R$95.6K

44.97%

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

$33.0K ฿1.1M

$28.4K R$141.1K

16.38%

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

$123 ฿3,962

$51.7 R$257

137.90%

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

$13.82 ฿445

$7.08 R$35.18

95.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 ฿608

$8.95 R$44.50

110.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.2 ฿1,970

$13.43 R$66.8

355.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ฿541

$27.26 R$135

-38.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ฿286

$6.37 R$31.65

39.25%

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

$696 ฿22.4K

$98.8 R$491

604.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K ฿517.4K

$6,275 R$31.2K

155.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 ฿1,910

$36.26 R$180

63.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 ฿1,123

$45.22 R$225

-22.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,646

$110 R$548

2.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 ฿2,740

$58.5 R$291

45.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$615 ฿19.8K

$149 R$741

313.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.4K

$118 R$585

280.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 ฿67.2K

$319 R$1,583

554.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 ฿48.2K

$230 R$1,142

550.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,734 ฿120.3K

$1,725 R$8,573

116.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,662 ฿85.8K

$1,192 R$5,926

123.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 ฿17.2K

$268 R$1,330

99.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-46.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 20, 2026

Last update for Caruaru: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $615 in Phuket and $149 in Caruaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 99% 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: $46 in Phuket vs $27 in Caruaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $291 vs $129 per month, with Caruaru 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 Caruaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket and Caruaru differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $577 including rent). Caruaru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Phuket pays 99% 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: $615 in Phuket versus $149 in Caruaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Phuket versus $98.8 in Caruaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $577 in Caruaru versus $1,270 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Caruaru but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Caruaru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Caruaru 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 Caruaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.