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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $860 in Jacareí.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,089 in Phuket versus $1,391 in Jacareí.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,913 in Phuket versus $1,923 in Jacareí.

Living in Phuket is roughly 47% more expensive than in Jacareí, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Jacareí 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 ฿154

$6.83 R$35.02

-31.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.22 ฿1,065

$30.77 R$158

4.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 ฿287

$6.71 R$34.40

29.36%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.14 R$10.99

35.51%

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

$0.84 ฿27.89

$1.51 R$7.73

-44.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.16

$0.89 R$4.58

-44.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 ฿82.0

$2.58 R$13.25

-3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 ฿123

$2.87 R$14.70

29.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 ฿62.3

$1.17 R$6.00

61.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 ฿46.54

$1.83 R$9.41

-22.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 ฿53.6

$1.15 R$5.89

40.87%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿74.1

$2.37 R$12.13

-5.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.84 ฿656

$8.64 R$44.29

129.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 ฿115

$4.20 R$21.53

-17.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.37 ฿376

$9.83 R$50.4

15.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 ฿95.8

$2.52 R$12.91

15.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿57.0

$1.83 R$9.39

-6.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 ฿75.1

$1.74 R$8.91

30.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 ฿70.4

$1.72 R$8.82

23.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.72

$1.28 R$6.56

14.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.42 ฿46.92

$1.26 R$6.48

12.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.25

$1.00 R$5.13

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ฿19.76

$0.74 R$3.77

-18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 ฿142

$2.24 R$11.49

92.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.60 ฿615

$7.83 R$40.15

137.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ฿59.5

$1.65 R$8.46

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ฿98.0

$2.95 R$15.13

0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 ฿74.2

$1.00 R$5.12

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.49 ฿776

$41.73 R$214

-43.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 ฿102

$1.23 R$6.29

152.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 ฿35.56

$1.39 R$7.11

-22.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 ฿128

$9.01 R$46.20

-57.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 ฿47.16

$1.21 R$6.18

18.18%

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

$27.8K ฿918.0K

$23.2K R$118.9K

19.74%

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

$27.0K ฿891.5K

$31.7K R$162.4K

-14.84%

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

$105 ฿3,462

$44.94 R$230

133.20%

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

$11.39 ฿376

$11.63 R$59.6

-2.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.54 ฿580

$21.63 R$111

-18.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.3 ฿1,795

$24.94 R$128

117.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.44 ฿378

$26.33 R$135

-56.55%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ฿257

$7.52 R$38.57

3.46%

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

$576 ฿19.0K

$272 R$1,397

111.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ฿382.7K

$7,351 R$37.7K

57.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 ฿2,103

$53.4 R$274

19.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 ฿961

$36.50 R$187

-20.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.2 ฿3,179

$91.3 R$468

5.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 ฿2,974

$58.3 R$299

54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$733 ฿24.2K

$346 R$1,774

111.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 ฿16.5K

$229 R$1,173

118.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 ฿70.2K

$630 R$3,231

237.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 ฿41.4K

$448 R$2,297

179.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,534 ฿116.8K

$1,597 R$8,186

121.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 ฿86.6K

$1,121 R$5,748

133.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.12

-49.91%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 6, 2026

Last update for Jacareí: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $733 in Phuket and $346 in Jacareí. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Jacareí for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $209 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 47% 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 $1,898 in Phuket and $1,290 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: $733 in Phuket versus $346 in Jacareí. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $576 in Phuket versus $272 in Jacareí. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $860 in Jacareí versus $1,265 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 $860 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 47% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.