Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Carlos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Carlos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,253 in Phuket versus $969 in Sao Carlos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Phuket versus $1,679 in Sao Carlos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,833 in Phuket versus $2,389 in Sao Carlos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 29% more expensive than in Sao Carlos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 9% lower, Sao Carlos 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿150

$4.72 R$24.16

-3.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,072

$39.17 R$201

-16.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿293

$6.72 R$34.44

32.44%

Cappuccino

$2.80 ฿92.2

$2.08 R$10.68

34.62%

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

$0.88 ฿28.93

$1.29 R$6.59

-31.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.08

$0.76 R$3.92

-35.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿78.5

$1.56 R$7.98

53.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿122

$2.64 R$13.54

40.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ฿58.7

$1.35 R$6.90

32.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ฿47.38

$1.89 R$9.69

-23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ฿52.1

$1.80 R$9.21

-12.22%

Eggs

$2.13 ฿69.9

$2.88 R$14.78

-26.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.92 ฿655

$12.06 R$61.8

65.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.43 ฿113

$5.25 R$26.88

-34.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.33 ฿372

$9.29 R$47.62

21.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 ฿96.9

$2.66 R$13.63

10.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 ฿56.6

$1.82 R$9.33

-5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 ฿76.4

$1.73 R$8.88

34.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.4

$1.85 R$9.47

12.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 ฿48.33

$1.66 R$8.52

-11.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ฿44.64

$1.37 R$7.03

-0.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ฿36.12

$0.92 R$4.70

19.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ฿18.89

$1.14 R$5.83

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿140

$3.16 R$16.21

35.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.42 ฿605

$8.05 R$41.25

128.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 ฿61.5

$1.43 R$7.32

30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 ฿96.0

$2.95 R$15.13

-1.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 ฿72.9

$0.97 R$4.99

128.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿753

$23.38 R$120

-2.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿99.6

$1.49 R$7.65

103.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.31

$0.93 R$4.75

15.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿129

$3.53 R$18.11

11.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.04

$1.23 R$6.28

21.14%

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

$27.1K ฿891.7K

$19.1K R$97.9K

42.03%

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

$27.5K ฿902.3K

$30.7K R$157.4K

-10.62%

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

$103 ฿3,379

$61.2 R$313

68.06%

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

$10.99 ฿361

$13.48 R$69.1

-18.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.51 ฿576

$24.27 R$124

-27.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.5 ฿1,760

$32.74 R$168

63.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿368

$46.41 R$238

-75.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 ฿246

$5.42 R$27.76

38.01%

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

$557 ฿18.3K

$286 R$1,464

94.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K ฿389.6K

$2,914 R$14.9K

306.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 ฿2,106

$80.3 R$411

-20.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.07 ฿956

$93.1 R$477

-68.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 ฿3,154

$137 R$704

-30.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 ฿2,970

$160 R$817

-43.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 ฿24.0K

$261 R$1,339

179.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$500 ฿16.4K

$222 R$1,139

124.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 ฿68.7K

$662 R$3,393

215.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 ฿39.7K

$642 R$3,289

88.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,596 ฿118.2K

$815 R$4,178

340.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,512 ฿82.6K

$723 R$3,702

247.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$503 ฿16.5K

$654 R$3,351

-23.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

10.75

-48.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Last update for Sao Carlos: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $730 in Phuket and $261 in Sao Carlos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Carlos pays 30% 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 $39.00 in Sao Carlos. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $236, with Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Carlos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Sao Carlos. 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 $261 in Sao Carlos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $557 in Phuket versus $286 in Sao Carlos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $969 in Sao Carlos versus $1,253 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Carlos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Carlos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Carlos 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 Carlos 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 Carlos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.