Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Joao da Boa Vista Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Joao da Boa Vista

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $790 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $1,257 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $1,723 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista.

Living in Phuket is roughly 56% more expensive than Sao Joao da Boa Vista, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Sao Joao da Boa Vista 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$5.36 R$26.70

-13.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,523

$26.62 R$133

75.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿287

$5.81 R$28.91

52.15%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿97.4

$2.07 R$10.32

44.93%

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

$0.74 ฿24.11

$1.20 R$5.95

-38.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.88

$0.92 R$4.59

-59.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.3

$2.03 R$10.10

20.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿117

$2.72 R$13.56

32.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.5

$0.94 R$4.69

140.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿59.8

$1.54 R$7.67

19.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.0

$1.33 R$6.62

68.42%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.3

$2.85 R$14.18

-18.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿639

$12.75 R$63.5

54.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$4.08 R$20.31

-10.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿426

$8.68 R$43.20

50.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿110

$1.63 R$8.11

107.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.4

$1.24 R$6.19

32.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.5

$2.08 R$10.37

15.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.0

$1.81 R$9.00

12.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.6

$1.28 R$6.37

21.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.66

$1.29 R$6.44

16.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.30

$1.10 R$5.49

-7.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿15.91

$0.47 R$2.34

4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$2.10 R$10.45

111.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿614

$5.85 R$29.13

222.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿57.7

$1.35 R$6.74

31.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿89.5

$2.09 R$10.40

31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.54

$0.89 R$4.43

57.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿373

$38.62 R$192

-70.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿101

$1.28 R$6.39

143.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.48

$1.06 R$5.29

-5.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿458

$6.38 R$31.77

120.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿43.93

$0.84 R$4.17

60.71%

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

$27.2K ฿883.7K

$21.1K R$105.1K

28.82%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$29.3K R$145.8K

12.48%

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

$125 ฿4,063

$86.6 R$431

44.39%

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

$13.57 ฿441

$11.75 R$58.5

15.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿602

$17.93 R$89.3

3.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿1,999

$22.82 R$114

169.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$21.99 R$109

-23.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿299

$4.52 R$22.51

103.32%

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

$698 ฿22.7K

$284 R$1,416

145.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿506.9K

$8,037 R$40.0K

94.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$46.49 R$232

24.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,146

$39.92 R$199

-11.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,677

$38.93 R$194

190.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,808

$41.18 R$205

109.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.0K

$318 R$1,585

93.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.5K

$219 R$1,088

104.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿66.6K

$591 R$2,945

246.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.5K

$434 R$2,163

243.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿122.8K

$1,644 R$8,188

129.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.1K

$1,137 R$5,664

132.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.0K

$681 R$3,389

-23.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

-55.58%

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

Last update for Phuket: April 27, 2026

Last update for Sao Joao da Boa Vista: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $318 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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: $47.00 in Phuket vs $27.00 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $198 per month, with Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Joao da Boa Vista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Joao da Boa Vista is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sao Joao da Boa Vista earns 30% 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: $616 in Phuket versus $318 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $284 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $790 in Sao Joao da Boa Vista versus $1,232 in Phuket, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Joao da Boa Vista but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Joao da Boa Vista the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Joao da Boa Vista 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 Joao da Boa Vista 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 Joao da Boa Vista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.