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 $849 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,352 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,856 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Living in Phuket is roughly 45% more expensive than Santa Cruz do Sul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Santa Cruz do Sul 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$4.41 R$21.97

4.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$26.64 R$133

75.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$4.56 R$22.69

93.86%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$1.58 R$7.85

89.87%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$1.16 R$5.80

-36.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.78 R$3.87

-52.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$2.10 R$10.45

16.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.69 R$13.39

34.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$0.90 R$4.46

151.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$1.40 R$6.96

31.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.08 R$5.39

107.41%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$2.14 R$10.64

8.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$10.74 R$53.5

83.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.62 R$22.99

-21.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$9.54 R$47.51

37.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$2.07 R$10.29

63.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.31 R$6.55

25.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$1.27 R$6.33

89.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$1.47 R$7.32

38.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$1.14 R$5.69

36.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$1.03 R$5.13

45.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$0.72 R$3.59

41.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.57 R$2.86

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.00 R$9.94

122.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$8.02 R$39.95

135.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$1.02 R$5.09

74.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$1.86 R$9.25

47.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$0.87 R$4.31

60.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$39.05 R$194

-70.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$1.64 R$8.17

90.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$1.01 R$5.05

-0.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$5.44 R$27.09

159.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$1.10 R$5.50

22.73%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$23.9K R$118.9K

13.85%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.8K R$138.3K

18.54%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$59.9 R$298

108.54%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$14.72 R$73.3

-7.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$19.66 R$97.9

-5.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$22.26 R$111

176.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$21.66 R$108

-22.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$6.48 R$32.27

41.82%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$310 R$1,544

125.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$7,190 R$35.8K

116.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$48.92 R$244

18.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$56.2 R$280

-37.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$79.2 R$395

42.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$61.8 R$308

39.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$507 R$2,523

21.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$275 R$1,371

61.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$858 R$4,275

138.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$573 R$2,855

160.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$405 R$2,015

29.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-46.70%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $507 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 29% 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $191 per month, with Santa Cruz do Sul 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 Santa Cruz do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz do Sul is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 29% more on average, 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: $616 in Phuket versus $507 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $310 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $849 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 45% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.