Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guarulhos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Guarulhos

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Phuket vs $919 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,043 per month in Phuket vs $1,712 in Guarulhos, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,833 per month in Phuket vs $2,504 in Guarulhos, rent included.

Phuket costs about 36% more than Guarulhos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Phuket and Guarulhos are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 9% lower, Guarulhos 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$8.83 R$45.05

-48.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$38.26 R$195

-14.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$8.47 R$43.17

5.08%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.48 R$12.66

12.90%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$1.36 R$6.93

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.85 R$4.34

-42.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.26 R$11.53

5.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.70 R$18.89

0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.02 R$5.22

75.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.79 R$9.14

-19.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.34 R$6.81

17.91%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.73 R$13.93

-21.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.68 R$59.6

70.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.85 R$24.73

-29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.42 R$53.1

8.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.30 R$11.71

28.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.72 R$8.79

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.48 R$7.54

56.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.42 R$7.26

46.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.27 R$6.49

15.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.19 R$6.07

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.93 R$4.75

18.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.84 R$4.29

-32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.40 R$12.22

77.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$9.74 R$49.66

89.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.51 R$7.72

23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.52 R$12.83

15.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$1.12 R$5.71

98.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$102 R$522

-77.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.18 R$6.03

156.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$0.69 R$3.51

55.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$8.30 R$42.34

-52.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.23 R$6.29

21.14%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$22.5K R$114.8K

20.50%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$33.2K R$169.1K

-17.21%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$70.0 R$357

46.82%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$15.34 R$78.2

-28.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$21.72 R$111

-19.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$26.90 R$137

99.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$9.82 R$50.1

-23.83%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$420 R$2,144

32.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$9,859 R$50.3K

20.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$62.6 R$319

2.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$55.2 R$282

-47.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$90.6 R$462

5.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$83.0 R$423

8.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$343 R$1,748

113.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$152 R$776

228.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$965 R$4,919

116.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$752 R$3,833

60.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,873 R$9,550

92.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,452 R$7,404

73.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$363 R$1,850

38.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.25

-50.49%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Guarulhos: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Phuket versus $343 in Guarulhos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Phuket, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Phuket versus $38.00 in Guarulhos. Groceries tell a different story – $273 in Phuket vs $222 in Guarulhos – so Guarulhos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Guarulhos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket costs about 36% more than Guarulhos, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,880 per month in Phuket and $1,379 in Guarulhos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guarulhos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Phuket and $38.00 in Guarulhos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,253 in Phuket and $919 in Guarulhos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Guarulhos, where all-in costs run around $919, than in Phuket at $1,253. In Guarulhos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Phuket it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Guarulhos costs $919 versus $1,253 in Phuket. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Guarulhos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Phuket makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.