Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Joao da Madeira Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Joao da Madeira

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,540 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Phuket versus $2,167 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,279 in Phuket versus $2,795 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 20% less than in Sao Joao da Madeira, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 8% below, Sao Joao da Madeira is 15% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.63 ฿151

$10.50 €8.99

-55.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 ฿1,532

$20.97 €17.95

123.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿289

$8.18 €7.00

8.07%

Cappuccino

$3.00 ฿98.0

$1.19 €1.02

152.10%

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

$0.74 ฿24.25

$1.14 €0.98

-35.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.95

$1.05 €0.90

-64.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 ฿79.8

$2.26 €1.94

7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 ฿118

$2.34 €2.01

54.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿73.9

$0.95 €0.81

137.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 ฿60.1

$0.37 €0.31

397.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 ฿73.4

$1.13 €0.97

98.23%

Eggs

$2.32 ฿75.7

$2.88 €2.46

-19.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.67 ฿643

$8.74 €7.48

125.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿119

$5.67 €4.86

-35.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 ฿428

$7.11 €6.09

84.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 ฿111

$2.19 €1.87

54.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ฿53.7

$1.52 €1.30

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿79.0

$2.03 €1.74

18.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿66.4

$2.99 €2.56

-32.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 ฿50.9

$1.33 €1.14

17.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿48.94

$1.86 €1.59

-19.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ฿33.50

$1.67 €1.43

-38.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.00

$0.89 €0.77

-44.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 ฿145

$6.07 €5.19

-26.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.88 ฿617

$6.06 €5.18

211.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.14 €0.97

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 ฿90.1

$2.71 €2.32

1.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 ฿45.81

$2.32 €1.99

-39.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.48 ฿376

$42.56 €36.43

-73.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 ฿102

$4.40 €3.76

-29.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 ฿32.67

$1.24 €1.07

-19.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.09 ฿461

$14.53 €12.44

-3.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ฿44.19

$1.90 €1.62

-28.95%

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

$27.2K ฿888.9K

$38.1K €32.6K

-28.73%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$40.1K €34.4K

-18.00%

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

$125 ฿4,087

$135 €115

-7.11%

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

$13.57 ฿444

$21.59 €18.48

-37.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.52 ฿606

$41.47 €35.49

-55.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 ฿2,010

$39.71 €33.99

54.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿551

Cinema Ticket

$9.19 ฿300

$5.96 €5.10

54.19%

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

$698 ฿22.8K

$345 €295

102.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K ฿509.9K

$8,190 €7,010

90.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,889

$74.1 €63.4

-22.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 ฿1,152

$33.83 €28.96

4.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,699

$92.1 €78.8

22.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 ฿2,825

$155 €133

-44.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 ฿20.1K

$930 €796

-33.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ฿14.6K

$720 €617

-38.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 ฿67.0K

$1,476 €1,264

38.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿48.8K

$1,159 €992

28.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,779 ฿123.6K

$3,148 €2,695

20.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,649 ฿86.6K

$2,211 €1,893

19.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 ฿17.1K

$1,120 €959

-53.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.43

-1.84%

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 Madeira: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Phuket and $930 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Joao da Madeira pays 114% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $21.00 in Sao Joao da Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $197 per month, with Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Sao Joao da Madeira earns 114% 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 $930 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Phuket versus $345 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sao Joao da Madeira pay roughly 49% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $1,540 in Sao Joao da Madeira, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Sao Joao da Madeira. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Joao da Madeira, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Sao Joao da Madeira 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Sao Joao da Madeira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.