Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santa Cruz do Sul Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santa Cruz do Sul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $893 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $1,427 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $1,961 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Living in Phuket is roughly 38% more expensive than in Santa Cruz do Sul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 10% lower, Santa Cruz do Sul 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$5.49 R$28.22

-19.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,074

$39.51 R$203

-18.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿297

$4.96 R$25.49

80.04%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.4

$1.79 R$9.21

62.01%

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

$0.88 ฿29.30

$1.36 R$6.98

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.01

$0.91 R$4.69

-47.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.3

$2.35 R$12.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$2.95 R$15.15

26.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.1

$1.04 R$5.32

79.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.81

$1.63 R$8.37

-9.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.7

$1.06 R$5.46

46.23%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.0

$2.44 R$12.53

-13.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿652

$9.91 R$51.0

97.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$4.73 R$24.33

-27.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿379

$9.63 R$49.52

18.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.3

$2.45 R$12.59

21.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.1

$1.40 R$7.19

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.5

$1.43 R$7.34

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.0

$1.54 R$7.94

40.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.8

$1.17 R$6.03

29.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.55

$1.11 R$5.69

20.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.57

$0.88 R$4.55

28.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.19

$0.80 R$4.12

-31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$2.39 R$12.31

78.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿635

$7.68 R$39.48

148.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.2

$1.10 R$5.63

61.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.6

$2.17 R$11.16

28.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.2

$1.00 R$5.15

123.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿757

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$1.24 R$6.38

144.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.06

$0.79 R$4.06

29.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$7.92 R$40.75

-50.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.63

$1.31 R$6.75

13.74%

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

$26.6K ฿884.9K

$23.4K R$120.6K

13.36%

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

$27.0K ฿899.8K

$33.3K R$171.4K

-18.90%

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

$102 ฿3,411

$73.6 R$378

39.30%

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

$11.33 ฿377

$12.12 R$62.3

-6.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿579

$21.99 R$113

-20.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,734

$27.34 R$141

90.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿369

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿256

$6.99 R$35.97

10.01%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$554 R$2,850

1.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿383.0K

$25.2K R$129.6K

-54.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,098

$50.3 R$259

25.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿983

$57.3 R$295

-48.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,263

$99.4 R$511

-1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,946

$77.5 R$398

14.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$543 R$2,791

35.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$300 R$1,543

60.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.1K

$917 R$4,714

129.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.8K

$617 R$3,172

98.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.4K

$393 R$2,021

25.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.5

-51.57%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $543 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 26% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Phuket vs $40.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $201, with Santa Cruz do Sul cheaper for home cooking.

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 Santa Cruz do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz do Sul is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Phuket, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $738 in Phuket versus $543 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $554 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $32.00 in Phuket. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $893 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz do Sul but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz do Sul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Cruz do Sul 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 Santa Cruz do Sul 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 Santa Cruz do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.