Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and São Gabriel Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and São Gabriel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $765 in São Gabriel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,223 in São Gabriel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,682 in São Gabriel.

Living in Phuket is roughly 61% more expensive than São Gabriel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, São Gabriel 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.09 R$25.38

-9.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$26.97 R$135

73.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$6.15 R$30.70

43.74%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.11 R$5.53

170.27%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.17 R$5.84

-36.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$0.82 R$4.12

-54.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$1.28 R$6.38

90.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.94 R$14.67

22.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.84 R$4.19

169.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$1.44 R$7.21

27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.06 R$5.27

111.32%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$1.29 R$6.42

79.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$10.92 R$54.5

80.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.62 R$23.04

-21.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$9.30 R$46.41

40.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$1.06 R$5.31

219.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.33 R$6.63

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$0.87 R$4.35

177.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$0.70 R$3.50

190.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.07 R$5.34

45.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$0.75 R$3.76

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$0.71 R$3.57

43.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.58 R$2.89

-15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$1.58 R$7.88

181.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$3.98 R$19.86

374.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$0.98 R$4.87

81.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$1.43 R$7.13

92.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$0.91 R$4.55

53.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$39.23 R$196

-70.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$1.61 R$8.03

93.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.05 R$5.25

-4.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$5.42 R$27.03

159.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.06 R$5.28

27.36%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$24.1K R$120.3K

12.78%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$27.1K R$135.2K

21.53%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$59.8 R$298

109.10%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$14.89 R$74.3

-8.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$19.63 R$98.0

-5.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$22.42 R$112

174.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

$21.24 R$106

-20.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$6.41 R$31.97

43.37%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$310 R$1,549

124.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$2,699 R$13.5K

477.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$48.35 R$241

19.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$23.12 R$115

52.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$81.9 R$409

38.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$64.1 R$320

34.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$318 R$1,586

93.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$216 R$1,076

106.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$591 R$2,948

246.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$427 R$2,132

249.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$1,580 R$7,884

139.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$1,040 R$5,188

154.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

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 São Gabriel: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $318 in São Gabriel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in São Gabriel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $166 per month, with São Gabriel 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 São Gabriel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

São Gabriel is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,847 in Phuket and $1,147 in São Gabriel to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Phuket versus $318 in São Gabriel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $765 in São Gabriel versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in São Gabriel but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes São Gabriel the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, São Gabriel 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 São Gabriel 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 São Gabriel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.