Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santo Andre Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Santo Andre

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $757 in Santo Andre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,239 in Santo Andre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,721 in Santo Andre.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santo Andre 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.42 R$37.54

-36.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$31.87 R$161

42.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.66 R$33.68

26.58%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.75 R$8.84

67.43%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.19 R$6.02

-42.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.83 R$4.21

-55.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$2.11 R$10.67

14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.84 R$14.36

30.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.04 R$5.26

114.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.77 R$8.96

3.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.36 R$6.90

59.56%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.37 R$11.98

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$10.16 R$51.4

94.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.04 R$20.44

-10.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.25 R$41.74

64.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.19 R$11.07

49.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.66 R$8.41

-3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.45 R$7.33

66.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.68 R$8.51

23.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.43 R$7.25

6.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.26 R$6.35

17.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.98 R$4.98

1.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.68 R$3.44

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$1.81 R$9.16

143.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$3.92 R$19.81

394.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.37 R$6.93

29.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.28 R$11.55

18.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.89 R$4.49

53.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$38.90 R$197

-70.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.11 R$5.60

172.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.74 R$3.77

33.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.80 R$39.48

80.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.02 R$5.16

33.33%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$21.9K R$110.8K

28.82%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.2K R$142.6K

16.71%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$55.3 R$280

120.23%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.13 R$66.5

3.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$19.98 R$101

-8.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$23.80 R$120

153.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$19.21 R$97.2

-10.78%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.38 R$37.36

17.75%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$328 R$1,660

111.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$8,692 R$44.0K

80.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$52.0 R$263

14.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$46.47 R$235

-25.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$75.8 R$383

51.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$74.2 R$375

12.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$242 R$1,226

153.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$166 R$840

163.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$473 R$2,392

343.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$317 R$1,603

376.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,621 R$8,199

131.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,232 R$6,234

112.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$622 R$3,147

-18.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

11.17

-52.28%

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

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santo Andre: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $242 in Santo Andre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santo Andre pays 22% 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 $32.00 in Santo Andre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $192 per month, with Santo Andre 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 Santo Andre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santo Andre is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Santo Andre earns 22% 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 $242 in Santo Andre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $328 in Santo Andre. 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 $757 in Santo Andre versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santo Andre but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santo Andre the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santo Andre 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 Santo Andre 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 Santo Andre 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.