Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jacareí Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Jacareí

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $795 in Jacareí.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,292 in Jacareí.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,790 in Jacareí.

Living in Phuket is roughly 55% more expensive than Jacareí, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Jacareí 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$6.12 R$30.53

-24.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$32.05 R$160

46.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.88 R$34.34

28.49%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.76 R$8.76

70.45%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.37 R$6.83

-45.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.76 R$3.80

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.79 R$8.91

36.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.72 R$13.58

32.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$1.10 R$5.48

105.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.52 R$7.57

21.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.18 R$5.89

89.83%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.31 R$11.53

0.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.05 R$40.19

144.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$3.88 R$19.37

-5.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$8.39 R$41.88

56.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.17 R$10.82

56.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.74 R$8.70

-5.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$1.44 R$7.18

67.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$1.58 R$7.87

28.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.25 R$6.25

24.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.14 R$5.70

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.74 R$3.69

37.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.64 R$3.21

-23.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.79 R$8.91

148.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$8.06 R$40.24

134.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.32 R$6.58

34.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.02 R$10.07

36.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.89 R$4.44

57.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$38.71 R$193

-70.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$0.91 R$4.54

242.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$0.62 R$3.10

61.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$7.57 R$37.78

86.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.06 R$5.28

27.36%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$22.8K R$113.9K

19.13%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.6K R$142.8K

15.07%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$47.46 R$237

163.34%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$15.10 R$75.4

-10.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$22.65 R$113

-18.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$22.39 R$112

174.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.83 R$109

-22.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.46 R$27.27

68.32%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$308 R$1,537

126.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$6,921 R$34.5K

125.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$55.7 R$278

3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$50.9 R$254

-30.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$74.8 R$373

51.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$71.0 R$354

21.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$311 R$1,553

97.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$213 R$1,062

109.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$574 R$2,867

256.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$426 R$2,124

250.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,703 R$8,499

121.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,047 R$5,225

152.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Jacareí: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $311 in Jacareí. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $32.00 in Jacareí for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $187 per month, with Jacareí 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 Jacareí: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jacareí wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jacareí the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,192 in Jacareí to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $311 in Jacareí. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $308 in Jacareí. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $795 in Jacareí versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Jacareí but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Jacareí the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Jacareí delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $795 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Jacareí hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Jacareí 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 Jacareí gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.