Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paulista Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Paulista

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $662 in Paulista.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,040 in Paulista.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,418 in Paulista.

Living in Phuket is roughly 89% more expensive than in Paulista, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Paulista 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$5.83 R$29.67

-21.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,553

$14.50 R$73.8

218.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿297

$6.48 R$33.01

36.42%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.46 R$7.44

109.59%

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

$0.73 ฿24.40

$1.23 R$6.25

-40.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.39

$0.34 R$1.76

17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.60 R$8.16

51.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$2.21 R$11.28

71.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$0.92 R$4.71

145.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.20 R$6.12

50.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.88 R$4.49

155.68%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.5

$1.85 R$9.42

21.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$2.55 R$12.97

665.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$2.76 R$14.06

32.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$5.29 R$26.91

146.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.79 R$9.10

80.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.91 R$4.64

78.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.1

$0.86 R$4.36

176.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.1

$1.06 R$5.40

91.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.99 R$5.03

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.69 R$3.49

117.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.91

$0.37 R$1.90

164.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.39

$0.55 R$2.81

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$1.96 R$9.97

126.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$3.77 R$19.21

385.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.29 R$6.58

44.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.1

$2.57 R$13.10

4.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.46

$0.88 R$4.47

60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿393

$39.07 R$199

-70.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.88 R$4.47

253.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.06

$0.76 R$3.85

36.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿474

$10.62 R$54.1

32.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.10

$0.98 R$4.97

33.67%

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

$27.8K ฿935.4K

$12.8K R$65.2K

117.29%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$27.1K R$138.0K

22.57%

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

$122 ฿4,118

$40.93 R$208

199.14%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$15.70 R$79.9

-13.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$18.93 R$96.4

-1.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,034

$22.58 R$115

167.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿571

$21.57 R$110

-21.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.41 R$27.55

67.65%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$62.6 R$319

1028.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.5K

$4,251 R$21.6K

271.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,969

$16.28 R$82.9

259.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,189

$42.94 R$219

-17.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,883

$45.29 R$231

154.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,816

$53.9 R$275

55.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.0K

$317 R$1,615

97.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$219 R$1,114

103.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.6K

$582 R$2,962

250.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$424 R$2,157

252.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.1K

$1,592 R$8,107

118.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,072 R$5,460

140.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-55.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Paulista: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $317 in Paulista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $14.00 in Paulista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $124 per month, with Paulista 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 Paulista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paulista wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Paulista the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,875 in Phuket and $994 in Paulista 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: $626 in Phuket versus $317 in Paulista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $62.6 in Paulista. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 133% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $662 in Paulista versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paulista but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Paulista the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Paulista delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $662 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Paulista hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Paulista 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 Paulista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.