Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santa Cruz do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $866 a month against $1,294 in Phuket, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
Learn more

Phuket Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
Learn more

Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index

Jump to prices

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,294

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Santa Cruz do Sul

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 Santa Cruz do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Phuket versus $866 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Phuket $1,294
Santa Cruz do Sul $866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,204 in Phuket versus $1,393 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Phuket $2,204
Santa Cruz do Sul $1,393

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Phuket versus $1,919 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Phuket $3,115
Santa Cruz do Sul $1,919

Living in Phuket is roughly 49% more expensive than in Santa Cruz do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 4% lower, Santa Cruz do Sul 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.39 ฿147

$5.50 R$30.00

-20.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.31 ฿1,085

$36.04 R$197

-10.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.70 ฿292

$6.30 R$34.41

38.10%

Cappuccino

$2.72 ฿91.5

$2.33 R$12.70

16.74%

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

$0.93 ฿31.25

$1.24 R$6.77

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ฿16.78

$1.02 R$5.59

-50.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 ฿85.0

$2.25 R$12.27

12.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿122

$2.70 R$14.77

34.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ฿58.4

$0.91 R$4.94

91.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ฿48.73

$1.53 R$8.34

-5.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.98 R$5.35

53.06%

Eggs

$2.17 ฿73.0

$2.21 R$12.05

-1.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.09 ฿641

$9.89 R$54.0

93.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 ฿114

$4.38 R$23.89

-22.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ฿366

$9.10 R$49.68

19.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 ฿98.8

$2.23 R$12.19

31.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿56.8

$1.35 R$7.39

25.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ฿73.7

$1.24 R$6.79

76.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 ฿71.4

$1.48 R$8.05

43.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 ฿48.99

$1.11 R$6.04

31.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 ฿45.95

$1.01 R$5.50

35.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ฿36.14

$0.79 R$4.31

36.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.32

$0.74 R$4.01

-25.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ฿149

$2.28 R$12.44

94.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.25 ฿613

$7.34 R$40.07

148.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 ฿59.5

$1.09 R$5.94

62.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 ฿96.8

$1.99 R$10.86

44.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿48.62

$0.94 R$5.14

54.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 ฿1,844

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ฿50.8

$1.32 R$7.20

14.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 ฿26.06

$0.73 R$4.01

6.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 ฿129

$7.69 R$41.99

-50.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.96

$1.22 R$6.68

22.13%

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

$26.9K ฿902.9K

$21.7K R$118.5K

23.89%

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

$26.3K ฿884.9K

$32.3K R$176.2K

-18.35%

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

$97.8 ฿3,285

$72.7 R$397

34.48%

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

$11.29 ฿379

$11.41 R$62.3

-1.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.19 ฿577

$20.47 R$112

-16.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 ฿2,295

$26.21 R$143

160.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.92 ฿367

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 ฿250

$6.74 R$36.79

10.24%

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

$530 ฿17.8K

$520 R$2,838

2.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K ฿630.9K

$22.8K R$124.7K

-17.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 ฿2,072

$46.12 R$252

33.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.25 ฿949

$53.1 R$290

-46.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,225

$94.2 R$514

1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 ฿2,916

$73.3 R$400

18.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 ฿24.2K

$524 R$2,862

37.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 ฿17.1K

$288 R$1,570

76.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 ฿65.5K

$890 R$4,860

119.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 ฿46.9K

$591 R$3,224

136.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 ฿140.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,298 ฿110.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 ฿16.5K

$372 R$2,029

32.28%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$509 39.3%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$288 33.2% 43.5% $221

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$267 20.6%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$189 21.8% 29.2% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$126 9.8%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$105 12.1% 17.2% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$123 9.5%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$120 13.9% 2.2% $2.7

Eating Out

Phuket

$120 9.2%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$116 13.5% 2.6% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$83 6.4%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$40 4.6% 52.3% $43

Getting Around

Phuket

$66 5.1%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$8.8 * 1% 86.8% $57

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Phuket and $524 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 32% 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 in Phuket vs $36 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $189, with Santa Cruz do Sul cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🕒 Local time

08:11 8:11 AM

22:11 10:11 PM

10 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

133,246

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.98 USD

100 THB = 2.64 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 33.59 THB (100 THB = 2.98 USD). 1 EUR = 37.81 THB (100 THB = 2.64 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.15 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Santa Cruz do Sul 16,120 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Santa Cruz do Sul

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

Santa Cruz do Sul is about 33% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $721 in Phuket versus $524 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Phuket versus $520 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 Phuket – a meal for two runs $32 versus $36 in Santa Cruz do Sul. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $866 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $1,294 in Phuket, a $1,200 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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Santa Cruz do Sul wins on affordability, Phuket on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.