Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Jose dos Campos Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Sao Jose dos Campos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $884 in Sao Jose dos Campos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,396 in Sao Jose dos Campos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,908 in Sao Jose dos Campos.

Living in Phuket is roughly 41% more expensive than in Sao Jose dos Campos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Sao Jose dos Campos 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$6.21 R$31.73

-26.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$33.47 R$171

37.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$7.22 R$36.92

22.44%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.80 R$9.20

70.00%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$1.32 R$6.75

-44.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.92 R$4.72

-56.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$1.78 R$9.08

36.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$3.37 R$17.22

12.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.13 R$5.80

100.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.59 R$8.11

13.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$1.30 R$6.64

73.08%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.33 R$11.88

-3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$8.37 R$42.78

133.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$3.89 R$19.87

-6.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$8.43 R$43.11

54.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$2.19 R$11.21

47.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$1.79 R$9.14

-9.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$1.41 R$7.21

68.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$1.59 R$8.13

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$1.30 R$6.66

17.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.14 R$5.83

31.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$0.74 R$3.76

32.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.65 R$3.31

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.74 R$13.98

62.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$8.65 R$44.21

111.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.37 R$7.02

35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$3.41 R$17.40

-21.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.88 R$4.49

60.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$25.97 R$133

-54.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$0.92 R$4.68

238.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.06 R$5.43

-1.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$8.77 R$44.84

60.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$1.04 R$5.32

25.96%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$22.3K R$113.8K

24.93%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$28.9K R$147.6K

14.99%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$47.89 R$245

155.67%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$14.80 R$75.6

-8.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$18.50 R$94.6

1.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$23.87 R$122

153.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$25.58 R$131

-33.62%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$5.29 R$27.06

71.46%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$310 R$1,583

128.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$6,934 R$35.4K

127.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$57.5 R$294

1.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$50.9 R$260

-30.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$86.8 R$443

33.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$72.0 R$368

16.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$376 R$1,923

66.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$287 R$1,467

55.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$784 R$4,006

160.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$545 R$2,784

173.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,062 R$10.5K

68.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$1,455 R$7,434

77.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$786 R$4,015

-36.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

10.92

-51.19%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Jose dos Campos: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $376 in Sao Jose dos Campos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Jose dos Campos pays 57% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $33.00 in Sao Jose dos Campos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $195 per month, with Sao Jose dos Campos 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 Jose dos Campos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Jose dos Campos is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Sao Jose dos Campos. 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: $626 in Phuket versus $376 in Sao Jose dos Campos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $310 in Sao Jose dos Campos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $884 in Sao Jose dos Campos versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Jose dos Campos but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Jose dos Campos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Jose dos Campos 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 Jose dos Campos 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 Jose dos Campos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.