Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Caetano do Sul Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Caetano do Sul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $904 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,629 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $2,354 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Living in Phuket is roughly 40% more expensive than Sao Caetano do Sul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sao Caetano do Sul 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿154

$7.22 R$36.55

-34.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,483

$32.10 R$162

41.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿276

$6.71 R$33.93

25.63%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.7

$1.82 R$9.19

60.99%

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

$0.69 ฿22.42

$1.20 R$6.09

-42.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿12.00

$0.76 R$3.86

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.78 R$9.02

35.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$2.81 R$14.20

32.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿73.0

$1.06 R$5.36

110.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.9

$1.78 R$9.02

2.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.9

$1.35 R$6.83

60.74%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.4

$2.40 R$12.13

-7.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$9.87 R$49.95

100.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.23 R$21.40

-14.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.65 R$43.78

56.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$2.14 R$10.85

53.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.7

$1.66 R$8.38

-3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.7

$1.46 R$7.41

65.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$1.70 R$8.60

22.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.97

$1.48 R$7.49

3.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.41

$1.24 R$6.26

19.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.32

$0.94 R$4.76

5.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.68

$0.69 R$3.47

-26.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.31 R$11.68

90.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿634

$8.20 R$41.47

136.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.31 R$6.64

35.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.7

$2.41 R$12.17

12.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.83

$0.87 R$4.38

57.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$37.82 R$191

-69.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.7

$1.16 R$5.87

160.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.51

$0.63 R$3.19

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$7.76 R$39.29

81.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.55

$1.10 R$5.55

23.64%

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

$28.2K ฿921.9K

$21.6K R$109.1K

30.83%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$28.4K R$143.5K

15.97%

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

$122 ฿3,978

$54.0 R$273

125.25%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$13.29 R$67.2

2.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿599

$22.07 R$112

-17.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,969

$48.06 R$243

25.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$47.38 R$240

-63.82%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$7.32 R$37.04

18.72%

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

$693 ฿22.7K

$322 R$1,627

115.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.8K

$8,894 R$45.0K

76.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,946

$52.6 R$266

13.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,137

$43.20 R$219

-19.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,746

$79.7 R$403

43.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,723

$77.4 R$392

7.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$331 R$1,672

85.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$280 R$1,414

56.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.5K

$629 R$3,182

233.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$907 R$4,587

66.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.6K

$1,601 R$8,101

134.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.5K

$1,170 R$5,917

123.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$949 R$4,803

-46.48%

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 Sao Caetano do Sul: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $331 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Caetano do Sul pays 87% 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 Sao Caetano do Sul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $202 per month, with Sao Caetano 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 Sao Caetano do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Caetano do Sul is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sao Caetano do Sul earns 87% 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 $331 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $322 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $904 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Caetano do Sul but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Caetano do Sul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Caetano 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 Sao Caetano 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 Sao Caetano do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.