Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ribeirao Preto Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Ribeirao Preto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $756 in Ribeirao Preto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,219 in Ribeirao Preto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,682 in Ribeirao Preto.

Living in Phuket is roughly 67% more expensive than Ribeirao Preto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Ribeirao Preto 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$6.94 R$34.72

-32.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$30.58 R$153

48.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.64 R$33.24

26.96%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.60 R$8.02

83.13%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.93 R$4.65

-25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.62 R$3.13

-40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.07 R$5.35

125.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.76 R$8.81

111.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$0.87 R$4.35

156.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.52 R$7.59

20.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$1.02 R$5.13

112.75%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.10 R$10.51

5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$8.32 R$41.66

137.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.53 R$17.68

2.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$7.61 R$38.09

77.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.16 R$10.79

51.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$1.31 R$6.57

22.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$1.18 R$5.89

104.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.49 R$7.47

39.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$1.14 R$5.69

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.99 R$4.94

49.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$0.85 R$4.28

16.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.74 R$3.69

-31.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.19 R$10.97

101.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$8.81 R$44.08

119.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.19 R$5.98

49.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.93 R$9.68

40.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.86 R$4.32

59.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$48.31 R$242

-76.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.11 R$5.56

172.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.18 R$5.88

-16.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.00 R$35.02

101.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$1.02 R$5.12

33.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$18.6K R$93.1K

51.67%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.6K R$138.1K

19.26%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$76.9 R$385

58.32%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$14.04 R$70.3

-3.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$17.06 R$85.4

7.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$19.52 R$97.7

208.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$22.12 R$111

-22.51%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$5.71 R$28.59

52.19%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$219 R$1,093

217.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$5,380 R$26.9K

191.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$38.22 R$191

55.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$34.15 R$171

1.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$70.8 R$354

61.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$48.62 R$243

71.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$245 R$1,224

150.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$195 R$976

124.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$463 R$2,319

351.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$352 R$1,762

328.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,316 R$6,587

184.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$970 R$4,853

169.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$589 R$2,950

-13.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

14.44

-63.09%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ribeirao Preto: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $245 in Ribeirao Preto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ribeirao Preto pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $31.00 in Ribeirao Preto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $178 per month, with Ribeirao Preto 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 Ribeirao Preto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ribeirao Preto is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ribeirao Preto earns 16% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $245 in Ribeirao Preto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $219 in Ribeirao Preto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $756 in Ribeirao Preto versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ribeirao Preto but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Ribeirao Preto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ribeirao Preto is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Ribeirao Preto 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 Ribeirao Preto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.