Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Porto Alegre, Sao Tome and Principe

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Alegre: $199 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Porto Alegre

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Porto Alegre

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Porto Alegre actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $199 in Porto Alegre.

Phuket $1,294
Porto Alegre $199

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $412 in Porto Alegre.

Phuket $2,204
Porto Alegre $412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $625 in Porto Alegre.

Phuket $3,115
Porto Alegre $625

Living in Phuket is roughly 550% more expensive than in Porto Alegre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Porto Alegre 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,080

$38.16 STN 832

-15.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿291

$5.71 STN 124

52.36%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.1

$2.47 STN 53.8

10.12%

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

$0.93 ฿31.11

$1.06 STN 23.12

-12.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.70

$0.88 STN 19.18

-43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿84.6

$2.30 STN 50.2

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿121

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.2

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.51

$2.08 STN 45.37

-30.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.2

$1.04 STN 22.61

44.23%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿72.6

$2.32 STN 50.6

-6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿638

$18.61 STN 406

2.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿364

$12.36 STN 269

-11.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.6

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.4

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.0

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.77

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.74

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿35.98

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿148

$2.29 STN 49.93

93.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿610

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.3

$1.14 STN 24.94

55.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,835

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿25.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿128

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.74

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

$26.9K ฿898.9K

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

$26.3K ฿881.0K

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

$97.8 ฿3,271

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

$11.29 ฿378

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿575

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,285

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿365

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿248

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

$530 ฿17.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿628.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,062

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿945

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,210

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,903

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

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

Last update for Phuket: November 2, 2026

Last update for Porto Alegre: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Porto Alegre

–

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Porto Alegre

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Porto Alegre

–

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Porto Alegre

–

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Porto Alegre

–

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Porto Alegre

–

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Porto Alegre

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32 in Phuket vs $38 in Porto Alegre. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $133, with Porto Alegre cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇸🇹 Porto Alegre

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

15:43 3:43 PM

7 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

795

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 STN = 4.59 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

STN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 33.44 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.56 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 21.8 STN (100 STN = 4.59 USD). 1 EUR = 24.48 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

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Phuket Porto Alegre 10,210 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Porto Alegre

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Porto Alegre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porto Alegre is about 85% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,940 in Phuket and $298 in Porto Alegre 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $38 in Porto Alegre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $199 in Porto Alegre versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $800 budget is realistic in Porto Alegre but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Porto Alegre 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 Porto Alegre are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.