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: $1,253 in Phuket versus $949 in Santo Andre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,573 in Santo Andre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,196 in Santo Andre.

Living in Phuket is roughly 32% more expensive than in Santo Andre, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Santo Andre 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$8.70 R$44.34

-47.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,073

$48.67 R$248

-32.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$8.09 R$41.26

10.01%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.47 R$12.60

13.36%

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

$0.88 ฿28.94

$1.36 R$6.91

-35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.90 R$4.60

-45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$2.28 R$11.64

4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$3.72 R$18.97

-0.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.8

$1.07 R$5.44

67.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.40

$1.88 R$9.58

-23.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.34 R$6.85

17.91%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.65 R$13.54

-19.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$11.19 R$57.1

78.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$4.70 R$23.99

-27.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$10.36 R$52.8

9.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿97.0

$2.32 R$11.81

27.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.81 R$9.21

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.5

$1.53 R$7.82

51.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.60 R$8.15

30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.34

$1.29 R$6.56

13.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.65

$1.21 R$6.15

12.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.13

$0.90 R$4.60

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$0.80 R$4.08

-28.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$2.48 R$12.64

72.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿606

$7.68 R$39.19

139.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.51 R$7.72

23.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.1

$2.51 R$12.79

16.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿73.0

$0.95 R$4.83

133.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$26.49 R$135

-13.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.19 R$6.05

154.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.32

$1.00 R$5.10

7.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$8.27 R$42.16

-52.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.06

$1.25 R$6.38

19.20%

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

$27.1K ฿892.0K

$22.8K R$116.2K

19.07%

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

$27.5K ฿902.6K

$31.0K R$157.9K

-11.35%

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

$103 ฿3,380

$64.3 R$328

60.00%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$15.46 R$78.8

-28.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$21.44 R$109

-18.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$24.40 R$124

119.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$27.15 R$138

-58.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$7.92 R$40.38

-5.56%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$484 R$2,466

15.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.7K

$15.4K R$78.4K

-22.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,107

$60.5 R$308

5.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$55.8 R$285

-47.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,155

$91.7 R$468

4.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$81.8 R$417

10.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$397 R$2,026

83.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$285 R$1,452

75.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$652 R$3,323

220.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.8K

$515 R$2,626

134.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$1,634 R$8,334

120.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$1,137 R$5,797

121.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.6K

$537 R$2,738

-6.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.81

-48.47%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Santo Andre: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $397 in Santo Andre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santo Andre pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Phuket vs $49.00 in Santo Andre. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $218, with Santo Andre 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 Santo Andre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santo Andre is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Santo Andre. 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: $730 in Phuket versus $397 in Santo Andre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $484 in Santo Andre. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $949 in Santo Andre versus $1,253 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 32% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.